NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT):

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 STATE 006970 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC CDG ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA IAEA NPT SUBJECT: NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT): BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND REPORTING REQUEST UNVIE FOR IAEA GENEVA FOR CD DELEGATION USUN FOR POL USNATO FOR POL USEU FOR POL ¶1. (U) This is an action message; see paras 7-9 below. ¶2. (U) SUMMARY: The current Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) review cycle continues with a third Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting in May and culminates in a Review Conference (RevCon) in April-May 2010. Various governments and other observers refer to the 2010 NPT RevCon as a milestone for achieving, or at least focusing on, a wide range of nonproliferation and disarmament goals. We expect the 2010 NPT RevCon to grow in priority for the USG in the coming months. With that in mind, the Department is STATE 00006970 002 OF 009 providing background information on NPT matters to Embassies and Missions, and requesting relevant reporting from action addressees, whose host governments are most likely to influence the outcome of critical upcoming NPT meetings. Action addressees are requested to provide the names of post and host government POCs on NPT-related issues by February 2, and substantive responses to this demarche request by February 20. END SUMMARY -------------- Background -------------- ¶3. (U) The NPT is the primary legal barrier to the global spread of nuclear weapons. Except for the five treaty-defined nuclear weapon states (i.e., the United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom),NPT Parties renounce nuclear weapons. The Treaty calls for cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy among Parties, while requiring compliance with their NPT nonproliferation obligations. The NPT also commits all Parties, even non-nuclear weapons states, to &pursue STATE 00006970 003 OF 009 negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to(nuclear disarmament.8 One hundred and ninety (190) states ) including all United Nations members except India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea ) are NPT Parties. (FYI: North Korea announced it would withdraw from the Treaty in 2003, but some countries question whether its withdrawal is effective. END FYI) ¶4. (U) Parties convene every five years to review the operation of the Treaty. The next such Review Conference (RevCon) will take place in 2010 at the United Nations in New York City. Each RevCon is preceded by three Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meetings. The third PrepCom meeting, to be held in May 2009 in New York City, is the near-term focus of our efforts on the NPT. By agreement of Parties in 2000, the third PrepCom in the review cycle has goals that are unique among the three: 1) to agree on an agenda, rules of procedure, and background documentation for the RevCon; 2) to choose a president for the RevCon; and 3) to produce a consensus report containing substantive recommendations to the RevCon. At the 2005 RevCon (the most recent one) and the 2007 PrepCom, certain Parties used the need for consensus on STATE 00006970 004 OF 009 the agenda as a means to block substantive discussion on matters they opposed for more than half of the periods of the meetings. The United States hopes that the 2009 PrepCom will be able to resolve procedural issues quickly, so that Parties will have ample time at both the PrepCom and the 2010 RevCon to discuss the critical substantive issues that face the NPT. ¶5. (SBU) U.S. NPT priorities include: -- Principles and actions relating to compliance by all Parties, including Iran, with their NPT commitments; -- Dissuading Treaty violators from withdrawing by making clear the consequences that would result; -- Urging universal adherence to the Treaty and to safeguards agreements (including the IAEA Additional Protocol); -- Preventing nuclear terrorism by securing nuclear material; STATE 00006970 005 OF 009 -- Expanding cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy consistent with the NPT,s nonproliferation obligations; and -- Explaining to other Parties the significant U.S. efforts to reduce reliance on, and quantities of, nuclear weapons and nuclear material for those weapons. ¶6. (SBU) U.S. objectives at NPT meetings regarding most of these priorities are to achieve suitable language in a consensus document. The issues of NPT noncompliance, nonproliferation in the Middle East, and nuclear disarmament are expected to be particularly contentious at the 2009 PrepCom. Reaching consensus, the usual goal of such meetings, will be a considerable challenge. The requirement for consensus among 190 Parties for nearly any action at NPT review meetings makes it very difficult to take joint action. A consequence is that many of the actions necessary to achieve the Treaty,s objectives must be taken outside the context of the review process. For example, we have sought to address North Korea,s noncompliance and withdrawal from STATE 00006970 006 OF 009 the NPT through the Six-Party Talks. In addition to pursuing substantive objectives, such as those listed in para 5, we will seek changes to the procedures for selection of chairs and presidents of NPT meetings, which significantly favor the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),and to the imbalanced scale of financial assessments of member states ) particularly for the United States. -------------- Action Request -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Action addressees are requested to: 1) seek information from relevant host government officials and nongovernmental sources - including news media - on the questions listed in para 8 (response requested no later than February 20); 2) provide post views on how best to engage host governments on NPT issues in the coming months; and 3) identify points of contact for posts and host governments for NPT-related issues at least through the end of May 2008 (response requested no later than February 2). Questions in para 8 may be left as a non-paper. In replying to this STATE 00006970 007 OF 009 message, posts should identify any previous reporting relaying host government positions on these issues. Note that the Department will use responses from the field to this demarche request to brief new USG policymakers responsible for the NPT and related issues. ¶8. (SBU) Begin NPT questions: ¶A. What are the host government,s objectives for the NPT in general, and for the current review process in particular? ¶B. What policies or actions regarding the NPT does the host government hope to see from the United States? ¶C. What does the host government believe would represent a successful outcome to the current NPT cycle ending with the 2010 Review Conference? How important is it for Parties to reach consensus on substantive matters? ¶D. Does the host government believe that NPT parties should take action to address the NPT issues described below? If so, what actions would it support? STATE 00006970 008 OF 009 -- Noncompliance with the NPT, e.g., on the part of Iran and North Korea. -- The prospect of Parties violating and then withdrawing from the Treaty. -- The lack of NPT universality. -- The lack of universality of NPT safeguards agreements and the Additional Protocol. -- The spread of enrichment and reprocessing capabilities to additional countries. -- Fulfilling the Treaty,s obligation for the fullest possible international cooperation for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy consistent with the Treaty,s nonproliferation obligations. -- Fulfilling the Treaty,s obligations to pursue negotiations relating to nuclear disarmament. STATE 00006970 009 OF 009 -- Transparency on the part of nuclear weapon states with regard to their nuclear weapons forces and policies. End NPT questions. ¶9. (U) Please slug replies for the Department (ISN/MNSA), Geneva (CD),UNVIE (IAEA),USUN (POL),USNATO (POL),and USEU (POL). Questions regarding this message may be directed to Scott Davis (ISN/MNSA),who can be reached at davisms@state.sgov.gov, davisms@state.gov, or 1-202-647-1141. CLINTON