GICNT: 2009 GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000500

SECSTATE FOR INFO GLOBAL INITIATIVE PARTNER NATIONS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2019
TAGS: PARM PREL PTER KGIC RS
SUBJECT: GICNT: 2009 GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR
TERRORISM PLENARY MEETING REPORT, PART 2 OF 3

REF: STATE 53043

Classified By: Political Economic Counselor Drew Mann for reasons 1.4,
b and d

START PART TWO OF THREE

PARTICIPATION
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18. (U) The following 59 countries, as well as the IAEA, EU,
and INTERPOL, sent high-level representation to the June
16-17, 2009 GICNT Plenary Meeting in The Hague:

Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Libya,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Montenegro, Morocco,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russian, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine,
United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, IAEA
(Observer status),EU (Observer status),INTERPOL (Observer
status).


19. (U) Acting Assistant Secretary Dr. Eliot Kang headed the
26-member U.S. delegation, which included officials from
State, DOD/OSD, DOD/DTRA, FBI, NCTC, DOE/NNSA, UNVIE, and
DHS/DNDO.


20. (U) Joint Co-Chair Statement at 2009 Plenary Meeting

BEGIN JOINT CO-CHAIR STATEMENT TEXT:

The Hague, Netherlands
June 16, 2009

Partners of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism
met in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss &enhancing
international partnerships by sharing best practices.8 All
acknowledged that the potential for a terrorist act involving
nuclear or radiological materials is a major threat that the
international community continues to face, and that this
voluntary Initiative fills an important niche in bringing all
levels of government, international organizations, and
private sector entities together to confront this challenge.


To date, partners have conducted over thirty Global
Initiative workshops, conferences, and exercises aimed to
build capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to acts of
nuclear terrorism. They discussed their commitment to
continue and to increase their effectiveness as a
partnership. For 2009-2010, partners will facilitate
capacity-building in the functional areas described in the
Global Initiative Statement of Principles, including
developing and improving accounting, control, and physical
protection systems for nuclear and other radioactive
materials; and enhancing security of civilian nuclear
facilities; as well as strengthening operational detection
and forensics capabilities.

Today the Global Initiative now comprises 75 partner nations,
and is growing. Of these, more than 60 sent senior
representation to the Plenary in The Hague. Partners
welcomed INTERPOL as a new official observer to the Global
Initiative; it had issued a statement of support and will be
involved in activities relevant to its mandate. Global
Initiative partners agreed to continue outreach efforts to
further expand participation in key regions around the world.
Through the 2009 meeting partner countries strengthened the
GICNT by promoting greater involvement of civil society and
in particular the relevant business sector.

In their April 1, 2009 Joint Statement, Presidents Obama and
Medvedev agreed to enhance cooperation to counter such
threats as nuclear terrorism and to strengthen international
efforts through initiatives like this one, jointly launched
in 2006.

END JOINT CO-CHAIR STATEMENT TEXT.

SUMMARIES OF BREAKOUT SESSIONS, DAY 2
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Q --------------

Exercise Working Group
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21. (U) Twenty-eight partner nations actively participated in
the Exercise Working Group. The United States and the


Netherlands jointly facilitated this session, which covered
three general topics: 1) the Exercise Planning Group (EPG)
and its value in building capacity, 2) building blocks for
exercises (covering the incentive program and developing
conditions for success and core competencies),and 3)
completed and proposed exercises. Participants expressed
continued skepticism concerning the value of the EPG and its
ability to instruct and provide lasting quality upgrades in
partner nations, organic or regional capacity. Partners
were enthusiastic regarding the incentive program and the
discussion of core competencies, suggesting this is the way
forward for sharing best practices and regional capability
development. Finally, the Exercise Planning Working Group
offered ideas and recommendations to improve the Plenary
sessions. In general, the group recommended that the
Co-Chairs identify several key issues and address those
issues in working groups prior to the Plenary Meeting, have
the working groups present their findings at the Plenary, and
the Plenary should then affirm those findings and define a
way forward.

Public/Private/Civil Society Working Group
--------------


22. (U) More than 28 experts participated in the
Public/Private/Civil Society Working Group, which focused on
the importance of public-private communication and
collaboration to combat nuclear terrorism. Speakers from the
United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research
Institute, World Institute of Nuclear Security, European
Union, Dutch National Threat Alert System, URENCO, and United
Kingdom Nuclear Skills Academy discussed their respective
projects and practices. Partners noted the need to improve
communication and information sharing between sectors;
recognized the benefits of cross-sector training; discussed
the new role of the World Institute of Nuclear Security
(WINS) for sharing best practices among civilian nuclear
facility operators; and reviewed the UK Nuclear Skills
Academy,s national training standards that prevent
duplication and thus result in increased safety. The Dutch
facilitated this Working Group and used an electronic polling
technique that allowed participants to provide anonymous
input and draw out innovative perspectives on public-private
nuclear security issues.

Global Initiative Information Portal (GIIP) Working Group
-------------- --------------


23. (U) Seventeen partner nations participated in the GIIP
working group, which focused on evaluating the current status
of the online resource and discussing ideas for its future
development. The Working Group made several recommendations
related to the functionality and organization of the GIIP.
Partner nations provided feedback as to the general usability
of the site, including the need for an improved online
registration tool. The group expressed a desire to see the
site be developed further as a platform for enabling more
active collaboration between subject matter experts,
including topical online discussions and collaborative
production of documents, to share in support of planning,
executing and evaluating GICNT activities. Partner nations
recommended that the growing database of information be
better organized and the layout of the site be modified to
emphasize how all available information supports the Eight
Principles. Department of State representatives concluded
that the Department will need to be actively involved in the
development of the GIIP as the enhanced implementation of the
Qdevelopment of the GIIP as the enhanced implementation of the
GICNT materializes.

Equipment and Technology Working Group
--------------


24. (U) More than 50 experts attended the Equipment and
Technology Working Group. Dutch and Russian representatives
co-facilitated this session, which featured presentations on
conducting risk analysis, identifying strategic commodities,
best practices in nuclear detection, nuclear forensics (This
portion included a table-top exercise),and preventing
illicit trafficking on Russian Federation borders.


25. (U) The working group made two recommendations that the
Plenary accepted. The first encouraged GICNT partners to
report robustly to the IAEA Illicit Trafficking Database
Program (ITDB) and to share ITDB information broadly within
their governments, e.g. among law enforcement, intelligence
and customs officials. The second was that the 2010 Plenary
receive a briefing on using national nuclear forensics
libraries. This will promote cooperation between governments
investigating illicit uses of nuclear material. (COMMENT:
The IAEA and G-8,s International Technical Working Group on
Nuclear Smuggling (ITWG) have established task group to brief

the 2010 plenary and complete a technical review of the
national libraries concept. GICNT partners were encouraged
to participate in this technical review. END COMMENT.)


26. (U) Each working group produced a summary document.
Copies are available on the GIIP or by email request to
globalinitiative@state.gov.

PARTNERS, VIEWS ON SHARING BEST PRACTICES
--------------


27. (SBU) France and Germany both indicated their readiness
to share expertise. In their individual remarks, several
other partners visited this theme:
-the Czech Republic, on behalf of the European Union,
mentioned their efforts to raise awareness within the
business community, prevent intangible transfers of
technology, a joint research center, and cooperation with the
1540 Committee.
-Croatia stressed the importance of the Global Initiative
Information Portal for sharing information and best practices
and noted that transparency is essential as we move forward
to enhance implementation.
-Norway noted the &seven-country effort8 assisting
Kazakhstan with detection.
-Pakistan called itself a &front-line non-NATO ally.8 It
reported that it had completed a five-year nuclear security
plan and vulnerability assessment and was providing nuclear
security-related education to its government officials.


28. (U) Automated Inventory Control and Management System
(AICMS)
In his opening remarks, Dr. Kang noted AICMS replaced a
paper-based inventory system, was mutually developed by the
Russian Federation and the United States, and could be of use
to other GICNT partner nations. The AICMS system promotes
nuclear accountability without disclosing any sensitive
information. A display on AICMS was available for all to
visit during the plenary, with DoD and Russian MOD
representatives available to answer questions.
Representatives from interested nations included United Arab
Emirates, Morocco, Pakistan, China and Portugal.


( AND OTHERS REQUESTED HELP
--------------


29. (SBU) Several countries recognized the GICNT as a forum
to provide various forms of assistance. Afghanistan expressed
a desire to receive nuclear detection equipment. Serbia asked
for help in implementing Principle 4 (Improve capabilities of
participants to search for, confiscate, and establish safe
control over unlawfully held nuclear or other radioactive
materials and substances or devices using them).


30. (U) Morocco said it would introduce a resolution on GICNT
at the UN General Assembly and asked for partners to help
getting it adopted by consensus.


31. (U) Australia spoke of efforts to reach out to the
Southeast Asia region. New Zealand said it would continue
outreach to Pacific Island countries.

END PART TWO OF THREE
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