SCENESETTER FOR OCTOBER SEMINAR ON UN TARGETED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTIO 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001363 SIPDIS NOFORN STATE PASS EUR/WE AND EUR/PGI TREASURY FOR TFFC, OFAC, AND OIA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2019 TAGS: PTER KTFN ETTC PGOV EFIN PREL PINR KJUS PHUM UNSC, EUN, KNNP, BE SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR OCTOBER SEMINAR ON UN TARGETED SANCTIONS IN BRUSSELS REF: BRUSSELS 697 Classified By: Acting Charge Richard M. Eason for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D). ¶1. (C//NF) Summary: In preparation for the Belgian-hosted UN Targeted Sanctions Seminar of Like-Minded Countries, post provides the following information on Belgian attitudes toward reform of 1267 sanctions and other counterterrorism (CT) issues. This is in part based on Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing David Cohen's discussion of CT issues on June 24 with Belgian MFA Counterterrorism Coordinator Thomas Baekelandt. As a member of the Group of Like-Minded countries, Belgium is engaged in discussions to find a way to modify the UNSCR 1267 counterterrorist sanctions procedures that would address European court concerns with targeted persons' fundamental rights while not unnecessarily interfering with the UN designation process. As stated by A/S Cohen, amendments to the 1267 committee procedures, including those found in UNSCR 1822, should already have addressed many of the Like-Minded Countries' concerns. Baekelandt said he did not expect Belgium would approach its upcoming EU presidency during the second half of 2010 with a pre-set list of counterterrorism initiatives, but would respond to the challenges as they arise. End Summary. UN CounterTerrorism Sanctions Reform: Like-Minded Group -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C//NF) On October 15-16, a delegation of Treaury and State Department officials will attend a Belgian-hosted seminar on how to improve UN targeted sanctions on terrorist individuals and organizations and their supporters. the meeting will be chaired by Thomas Baekelandt, Belgian MFA Counterterrorism coordinator. As the MFA's CT Coordinator, Baekelandt spends half of his time working with his UN department colleagues on 1267 issues as well as the EU's separate autonomous terrorist sanctions designation process. He also addresses human rights issues that arise in the fight against terrorism, and has been involved in resettlement of Guantanamo detainees. He meets regularly with embassies that are engaged on CT issues, especially those of the U.S., Sri Lanka, and Turkey. Baekelandt spends the other half of his time liaising with CT experts in Belgium from other agencies and ministries. Belgium has no CIA equivalent, its only foreign intelligence units are in the military and are deployed in Afghanistan for force protection. They have an intelligence agency, the Surete, that works on internal security. Baekelandt serves as a window to the external world for his police and prosecutor colleagues concerned with local terrorism. He works with other colleagues on weapons proliferation, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons, and crisis response. He advises Belgium's Financial Intelligence Unit on Iranian terrorist financing. ¶3. (C//NF) The GOB is an active member of the group of including the European CourQ of Justice (ECJ). These courts have criticized the 1267 process and other UNSC and EU liting procedures on due process grounds. He sai the Swiss/Liechtenstein plan to add a right of appeal is not viable, as it fails to address the P5's concerns. It "might be right in legal terms, but not politically," he has said. "If you know the P5, this will never fly." Baekelandt said the Germans and the Dutch had similar "realistic" positions to the Belgians. Like the Belgians, they believe some kind