MEXICO PASSES LEGISLATION TO CONTROL CHEMICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MEXICO 000680

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/CT AND PM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2019
TAGS: PINR ETRD MARR PREL PTER SNAR PARM ECON KCRM
MX
SUBJECT: MEXICO PASSES LEGISLATION TO CONTROL CHEMICAL
WEAPONS

Classified By: MINISTER COUNSELOR CHARLES BARCLAY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D)


1. (C) Summary: Mexico's Lower House passed a bill February
24 to control chemical substances that could be used in
chemical weapons, paving the way for signature by Mexican
President Felipe Calderon and publication in the Diario
Oficial. The law, which will be administered by Mexico's
High-Level Coordinating Body for Disarmament,
Counter-terrorism and Security (the National Authority),
mandates creation of a list of controlled chemicals and will
bring Mexico into conformity with the United Nations Chemical
Weapons Convention. Although there was opposition by the
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) based on concerns over
Mexico's intelligence service (CISEN) as the lead element
implementing the new law, passage of this bill is generally
viewed as a good step forward in Mexico's non-proliferation
efforts. End Summary.


2. (U) The Mexican House of Deputies approved February 24 a
Federal Law for the Control of Chemical Substances
Susceptible to Diversion for the Production of Chemical
Weapons. The bill was approved by the Senate last year and
is expected to be signed into law in short order by President
Calderon and published in the Diario Oficial. The law
regulates activities in Mexico dealing with potential
dual-use chemical substances. A national list of chemical
substances subject to measures of control will be created.
The National Authority, administered by Mexico's intelligence
service (CISEN),will be the interagency coordinating body
for inspections and sanctions. The law establishes sentences
from two to forty years in prison and fines from 100 to 1200
days of minimum salary for violators. With this law, Mexico
will conform to the United Nations Chemical Weapons
Convention (CWC).


3. (SBU) The legislation is the first law that sets
parameters for the National Authority, which heads the GOM's
High Level Committee for Disarmament, Terrorism and
International Security (created in 2007). Since its
inception, the National Authority has been taking a
methodical approach in developing best practices in dealing
with non-proliferation and counter-terrorism issues. The law
is viewed as the most concrete step to date towards
monitoring chemical weapons in a coordinated fashion within
the Mexican Government in compliance with the UN's CWC.


4. (C) The bill passed in the House of Deputies by a vote of
258 to 106. PRD Diputado Erick Lopez told Poloff that 82
members of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) voted
against the bill to demonstrate concern over assigning CISEN
the lead for coordinating implementation. (Comment: PRD
repeatedly has criticized CISEN for being a partisan tool of
the government. End Comment)


5. (C) Comment. Although its parent organization has been
subject to partisan criticism in recent years, the National
Authority has demonstrated to Emboffs a serious desire to
better coordinate non-proliferation and counter-terrorism
activities across the GOM. The new law is a positive step
forward in that process, bringing Mexico into conformity with
the CWC as part of a coordinated attempt to control the
spread of chemical weapons. End Comment.
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
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