RESPONSE TO UNSCR 1540 COMMITTEE ASSISTANCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 082576

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL PTER SC
SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO UNSCR 1540 COMMITTEE ASSISTANCE
PACKAGES TO IMPLEMENTATION PROVIDERS

REF: A. LETTER FROM THE SECURITY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN TO
USUN SCA/5/09(01)

B. KINGSTON 503

C. DOZIER-WUCHTE E-MAIL JULY 23


1. This is an action request for USUN. Please see para. 12.

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BACKGROUND
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2. UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 (2004)
obligates all states to develop and maintain &appropriate,
effective8 measures to improve their indigenous capacities
to counter proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
and terrorist threats. UNSCR 1540 also established a
Committee responsible for implementation (the Committee). In
2008, the Security Council unanimously adopted UNSCR 1810,
renewing the Committee for three years and addressing funding
mechanisms, including voluntary contributions. UNSCR 1810
also recognized that some States may require assistance, and
establishes the Committee as a clearing house for
international assistance requests. Accordingly, the
Committee has conveyed to the United States requests for
assistance from Armenia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC),Iraq, Madagascar, and the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM). This cable is Washington's interim response
providing information for the Committee on USG assistance
efforts in response to those requests and to additional
requests from Uganda, Azerbaijan, and Mongolia.

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INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES) BACKGROUND FOR USUN ONLY
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3. Following is background on anticipated or ongoing USG
support related to the referenced assistance requests. USUN
may draw from this in discussions as needed to further
explain our support for the requests.

4. Armenia: The USG has provided sophisticated radiation
portal monitors and radioisotope identifiers at five border
crossings and Zvarnots International Airport. Armenian
Customs uses this equipment to detect radioactive materials.
The USG continues to provide gamma/neutron personal radiation
detectors for land borders and the airport. The USG will
soon provide advanced multi-mode devices to detect dangerous
chemical and biological materials. Over the last several
years, the USG has provided extensive training to Armenian
Customs and Border Police. This training includes
International Airport Cargo Interdiction given at the John F.
Kennedy International Airport in New York; the Radiation
Academy in Hanford, Washington; and Targeting and Risk
Management given in Yerevan. Over the next 10 months, the
USG anticipates providing continued robust professional
training to include ground sensor response, international
border interdiction, and international rail interdiction.
Regarding Armenia,s request to upgrade the physical
protection of its nuclear power plant, in accordance with
UNSCR 1810, the United States supports the efforts of
regional organizations to implement UNSCR 1540. Without
ruling out specific bilateral assistance on an as-needed
basis, we envision facilitating our efforts to assist Armenia
through the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) and its field mission in Yerevan. (Note: The USG is

STATE 00082576 002 OF 004


working with the UK to establish a UNSCR 1540 coordinator
position at OSCE headquarters in Vienna to assist with
technical assistance requests from OSCE participating States.
End Note).

5. DRC: The United States is co-sponsoring an African
workshop in Nairobi, Kenya during January 2010 (Ref C). The
workshop, to which we intend to invite three DRC
representatives, will focus on biosafety and biosecurity
issues addressed by UNSCR 1540, as well as capacity building
tailored to African states, development priorities. The
workshop's primary objective will be identifying means for
African states to further implement UNSCR 1540 by preparing
their own national implementation plans.


6. Iraq: The USG, under the Export Control and Related
Border Security program (EXBS),will provide USD 2 million to
support Iraqi development and implementation of comprehensive
strategic trade controls. EXBS will provide training and
technical consultation for drafting a comprehensive export
control law. Additional training will focus on helping Iraq
implement a national control list that meets international
standards, and establish an export licensing system. EXBS
will also provide border security training to law enforcement
agencies. The National Nuclear Security Administration's
(NNSA) Cooperative Border Security Program (CBSP) recently
began engagement with the GoI. CBSP engages international
partners in collaborative analytical and technical activities
supporting global nonproliferation and counterterrorism
efforts. The program's mission coincides with Iraq's general
request for assistance with implementation of certain UNSCR
1540 obligations. The project appears to be an appropriate
match; however, additional details on desired assistance will
be necessary to determine what follow-up may be necessary.
In partnership with the Multi-National Security Transition
Command-Iraq and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command,
CBSP is undertaking a capacity building proof of concept
project focused on a 100 km sector of the Iraq border, the
scope of which will include holistic analysis of the border
security system, identification of system vulnerabilities and
potential solutions, and implementation of cost-effective
capacity building solutions.

7. Madagascar: The United States currently has no specific
plans for bilateral assistance to Madagascar. In view of the
March coup d,etat in Madagascar, the USG has suspended all
assistance to the government and all non-humanitarian aid to
Madagascar. The only continuing aid is humanitarian
assistance that directly benefits the people of Madagascar
and is not provided through Madagascar's government.


8. CARICOM: Along with Canada, the United States has
responded positively to all aspects of this request. The
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cosponsored the Domestic
Export Controls and Maritime Security Workshop in Support of
the Implementation of UNSCR 1540 in Kingston June 15-17 (Ref.
B). With support from regional organizations and the Henry

L. Stimson Center, participants discussed UNSCR 1540 as an
opportunity to respond to security and development needs.
The event increased buy-in by underlining the multiple
benefits of UNSCR compliance, introduced the CARICOM,s
newly-designated 1540 Coordinator to regional enforcement
authorities, and set the stage for the next phase of our
engagement, the ISN-led development of model legislation for
UNSCR 1540 implementation. This workshop responded to the
U.S. and Canadian commitment to support the CARICOM
region-wide request for capacity-building assistance. DOE is
an interagency partner with DoS. The United States will
follow through on the success of this workshop by redoubling
efforts in regional training and technical assistance
programs, including legislative assistance.

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9. Uganda: The United States will be sponsoring three
Ugandan representatives for the African workshop in Kenya,
January 2010. The workshop will focus on biosafety and
biosecurity issues addressed by UNSCR 1540, as well as
capacity building, tailored to African states, development
priorities. The workshop's primary objective will be
identification of means for African states to further
implement UNSCR 1540 by preparing their own national
implementation plans.


10. Azerbaijan: The USG has provided Azerbaijan coastal
radar systems, monitoring and surveillance equipment for
Coast Guard vessels, and radiation portal monitors at key
land border crossings. The USG is procuring advanced
equipment to provide Azerbaijan Customs the capability to
detect materials related to explosives and weapons of mass
destruction, to be delivered in the fall of 2009. The USG
has provided training to border guard and customs officers
for several years to enhance their ability to interdict
illicit trafficking in WMD-related materials, and expects to
continue for the foreseeable future. Recent training
included observation of Border Patrol operations in Texas and
identification of high-risk cargo and passengers. Additional
courses over the next 10 months will include International
Border Interdiction, International X-ray Interdiction, and
International Rail Interdiction.


11. Mongolia: In its 2005 report to the Committee, Mongolia
flagged its shortage of equipment and trained personnel, and
requested radioactive detection equipment. In 2007, Mongolia
requested assistance from the Committee for its project to
strengthen technical capabilities for export and import
controls of nuclear and other radioactive materials, with a
list of specific equipment. Mongolia, which sits just south
of several important nuclear facilities, is a priority
country for the United States. NNSA,s Second Line of Defense
answered this request with a grant of USD 5.5 million, with
another 6 million to be disbursed by 2011. To date,
detection equipment has been installed at eight border
crossings. When completed, this project will provide the
requested equipment for 15-20 crossings.

End background.

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NOTE VERBALE
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12. USUN is requested to convey the following text by Note
to the 1540 Committee. Begin text:

The Permanent Mission of the United States of America
presents its compliments to the UNSCR 1540 Committee and has
the honor to provide this interim response to the assistance
requests that the Committee has received from Member States
to implement the resolution.

In accordance with UNSCR 1810, the United States has
established a national point of contact for assistance,
Thomas Wuchte (U.S. 1540 Coordinator),and is actively
updating its list of available assistance programs for the
Comprehensive Review, as last provided in 2006. Mr. Michael
Gordon is the designated contact in New York.

The Permanent Mission of the United States is pleased to
inform the Committee of the United States Government's
contribution to the request of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) submitted on October 17, 2008. The United States

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Government cosponsored, with Canada, a workshop on export
controls and maritime security, which occurred June 15-17,
2009 in Kingston, Jamaica. Officials of the following Member
States attended: Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Belize;
Dominican Republic; Haiti; Jamaica; Saint Kitts and Nevis;
and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Representatives of the
Organization of American States and CARICOM joined the
workshop and the Secretariat of the Committee provided most
useful assistance.

The workshop, partially funded by the U.S. Department of
Energy, was successful in explaining clearly the threat of
the proliferation of weapons of WMD and their delivery
systems in the Caribbean to officials from foreign affairs,
customs, and coast guard authorities, who are frequently
focused on other security challenges. Critically, it also
moved beyond general awareness building about UNSCR 1540 to
discussion about implementing its specific obligations.
Attendees returned to their capitals with a renewed sense of
urgency about implementation and with ideas about how to do
so. To further aid the resolution's implementation, the
United States has committed to funding the Caribbean regional
coordinator position and providing legislative assistance.

In its 2005 report to the Committee, Mongolia flagged its
shortage of equipment and trained personnel, and requested
radioactive detection equipment. In 2007, Mongolia requested
assistance from the Committee for its project to strengthen
technical capabilities for export and import controls of
nuclear and other radioactive materials, with a list of
specific equipment. The United States answered this request
with a grant that will provide the requested equipment for
15-20 border crossings.

The requests from Armenia, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Iraq, and Madagascar are being carefully studied,
along with requests from Uganda and Azerbaijan to determine
how the United States might provide assistance. In the case
of Iraq, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration's
Cooperative Border Security Program recently began
engagement. This program engages international partners in
collaborative analytical and technical activities supporting
global nonproliferation and counterterrorism efforts. The
program's mission coincides with Iraq's general request for
assistance with implementation of certain UNSCR 1540
obligations.

We would welcome this letter being posted on the 1540
Committee website so that other Member States providing
similar technical assistance can cooperate on partnering and
sharing information. It is our belief that the website
should be constructed so that interactive links will enable
the Committee to more quickly share information among all
potential partners. (End text.)

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Next Steps
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13. USUN support is greatly appreciated. Department
requests that USUN confirm delivery of note verbale by August

17.


14. Please contact U.S. 1540 Coordinator Thomas A. Wuchte at
(202) 736-4275 for any further information.
CLINTON