THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000727 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR WHA/CEN; ISN/MNSA; GENEVA FOR CD; UNVIE FOR IAEA; USUN/POL; USNATO/POL; USEU/POL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP AORC ENRG MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA SUBJECT: THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW CONFERENCE: COSTA RICA'S VIEWS REF: SECSTATE 83600 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Costa Rica, which abolished its military over fifty years ago, considers itself a leader on non-proliferation and disarmament issues. President Oscar Arias recently wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post calling for the abolition of all Latin American militaries. Costa Rica has long called for international disarmament and has strongly supported efforts to halt Iranian and North Korean efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. However, due in part to historical differences with its neighbors, Costa Rica is often only minimally effective in persuading others on disarmament issues. End Summary ¶2. (U) Per reftel, we met with Costa Rican MFA Disarmament officials Carlos Cordero and Randolph Coto on August 19 to discuss GOCR views on non-proliferation issues. According to Cordero, the GOCR is committed to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and welcomes the "reinvigorated" U.S.-Russian arms control efforts. The GOCR "believes not only in horizontal disarmament, but also the vertical disarmament of all countries." The destruction of not just nuclear but also conventional weapons, including chemical and biological arms, is a high priority for the GOCR. ¶3. (U) The MFA is the lead agency within the GOCR on non-proliferation issues and Cordero and Coto specifically head up the MFA disarmament office. FM Bruno Stagno is deeply involved in guiding arms control issues and the MFA issues directives to its Mission in New York on various non-proliferation issues. Costa Rica is currently the co-president of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nulcear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, a founding member of the Oslo Process of February 2007, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. ¶4. (U) Costa Rica is a member of the Group of 77 (but not the Nonaligned Movement),however, on arms control issues they operate independently of the G77 or any regional organizations (OAS, SICA, etc). Their missions abroad generally receive direct instructions from the Costa Rican MFA on non-proliferation issues, as the GOCR puts such an emphasis on these issues. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Costa Rica is an eager partner on non-proliferation issues, and has long tried to serve as a regional and international leader on disarmament in general. However, in part due to regional perceptions of Costa Rican arrogance, Costa Rica is often limited in its ability to influence regional partners. This has been shown most recently by the near-complete silence over Arias' call for the demilitarization of Latin America. Costa Rica often sees itself as an 'exception' within Central America, and many of its neighbors tend to agree. However, this sometimes stunts Costa Rica's capacity to lead within the region on international issues, including disarmament. WILSON