CWC: OPCW TOP STRUCTURE TRANSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000658

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR ISN/CB, IO/MPR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2019
TAGS: AORC PARM OPCW CWC
SUBJECT: CWC: OPCW TOP STRUCTURE TRANSITION

REF: THE HAGUE 617

Classified By: Janet E. Beik for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)

This is CWC-66-09


1. (C) SUMMARY: With the transition to a new
Director-General (DG) in July 2010, much of the top
structure in the Technical Secretariat (TS) of the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW) is expected to change. The top
structure includes the Deputy Director-General
(DDG) and the nine D2-level directors. Outgoing DG
Rogelio Pfirter (Argentina) has extended the
contracts of all top structure incumbents through
the end of 2010, five months after the incoming DG
will take up his post. However, there are rumors
that the DDG, who ran unsuccessfully to succeed
Pfirter, may leave before the new DG takes office.
Also, of the nine director positions, one is
currently vacant and three of the incumbents --
including the U.S.-citizen Director of
Administration -- will need to leave due to the
Organization's tenure or retirement age policies.
Identifying a desirable replacement for the
Director of Administration should be a top U.S.
priority. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) During the 58th Executive Council (EC-58)
session in October, Ahmet Uzumcu (Turkey) emerged
as the consensus candidate to be the next Director-
General of the OPCW's Technical Secretariat (ref
A). At its annual meeting in December, the
Conference of States Parties (CSP) is expected to
approve the EC's recommendation of Uzumcu. He
would then take over from current DG Pfirter in
July 2010. While there already has been
speculation on when and how actively Uzumcu will
manage the transition period, Del understands that
he plans to engage only after the CSP formally
approves his appointment.


3. (C) With Pfirter's departure, the top structure
of the TS is expected to turn over nearly
completely, particularly as many of the TS's
current directors have worked beyond the maximum
seven-year limit imposed by the Organization's
tenure policy or the retirement age of 62. The DG
has authority to extend contracts beyond the
retirement and tenure limits on a case-by-case
basis, and Delreps have learned that Pfirter has
extended the contracts of the DDG and the eight
current directors to the end of 2010. However,
Administration Director Ron Nelson (U.S.) recently
reconfirmed to Delreps his intention to retire in
July 2010. The position of Administration Director
-- as in many international organizations -- is
seen as a U.S. seat, and Nelson's departure will
open it up for another U.S. citizen. Unlike other
positions in the TS, vacancies in the top structure
traditionally are never advertised; instead, the DG
relies on member states to put forward qualified
candidates from which to choose.


4. (C) Former Inspectorate Director Ichiro Akiyama
(Japan) resigned in July 2009 after refusing to
have his contract extended beyond the tenure limit.
Despite intensive lobbying from both Japan and
South Korea for their respective candidates to fill
the vacancy, Pfirter has decided to keep it open
for Uzumcu to fill. Other imminent vacancies
include the Verification Director -- held by Horst
Reeps (Germany) since 2002 -- and the Internal
Oversight Director -- held by Mohamed Louati
(Tunisia) since 1997. Legal Advisor Santiago Onate
(Mexico),Policy-Making Organs Secretary Alexander
Q(Mexico),Policy-Making Organs Secretary Alexander
Khodakov (Russia) and External Relations Director
Liu Zhixian (China) have each served beyond their
initial four-year contracts but still have two to
three years before reaching the tenure limit.
Special Projects Director Krzysztof Paturej
(Poland) and International Cooperation and
Assistance Director Kalimi Mworia (Kenya) are still
serving within their initial four-year contracts.


5. (C) Delreps have also learned that DDG John
Freeman (UK),who was one of the seven candidates
competing to replace Pfirter, may plan to leave
before the end of his contract, clearing the way
for the new DG to select a DDG of his choice.
Considering that Uzumcu comes from the Western
European and Others Group (WEOG),Freeman's
replacement is expected to come from one of the
other regional groups and most likely from a
developing country to maintain the Preparatory
Commission "gentlemen's agreement" for a
"developed-developing" balance between the DG and
DDG positions. While much discussion of the DDG
position took place before and during EC-58,
particularly among African member states, Del does
not believe that Uzumcu made promises to fill
certain positions in order to obtain support.
Algeria, also with an unsuccessful DG candidate,
has its eye on the DDG position and possible
candidates in mind.


6. (C) DEL RECOMMENDATION: A top U.S. priority
should be to start the search for a well-qualified,
experienced replacement for Administration Director
Nelson. He has played an important role in
ensuring the OPCW's smooth and effective
management, and this is a key position which
remains in the U.S. interest to keep. As it will
be up to the U.S. to find suitable candidates to
propose to the new DG, we should consider ways to
widen the search net in order to attract the
largest pool of qualified candidates with strong
management, political and multilateral experience.


7. (U) BEIK SENDS.

LEVIN