UNVIE Reorganizes to Support Administration's Renewed

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000115 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT IAEA AORC KTBT MNUC PTER PARM SUBJECT: UNVIE Reorganizes to Support Administration's Renewed Focus on the Test Ban Treaty and Nuclear Terrorism Ref: A. UNVIE 106 (2006) ¶B. UNVIE 915 (2006) ¶1. Summary: UNVIE has realigned Mission responsibilities to reflect the priorities of the new Administration. Specifically, the old Nuclear Terrorism and Export Control Section is now the Arms Control Section with a primary focus on bringing into force an effective CTBT. Responsibility for nuclear terrorism has shifted to the IAEA Section, reflecting the arrival of a new employee from NNSA and the Administration's desire to "mainstream" the IAEA's role in this area. Finally, this cable records an earlier decision to establish a separate Policy Research and Advisory Staff to support longer-term strategy development and analysis. These realignments do not impact UNVIE resource requirements in terms of either funding or personnel. End Summary. Supporting an Effective CTBT -------------- ¶2. In February 2006 (Ref A),UNVIE realigned responsibilities to better meet Mission priorities and rebalance workloads among Mission sections. The former Arms Control Section was renamed the Nuclear Terrorism and Export Control (NTEC) Section and designated as the Mission coordinator for issues dealing with nuclear terrorism and illicit trafficking. Mission's goal was to identify and leverage the multiple special roles of the IAEA, UNODC, and other Vienna-based institutions to support global efforts against nuclear terrorism. Indeed, Mission made important progress in better integrating the work of Vienna-based organizations and supporting USG efforts to implement the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and UN Security Council Resolution 1540. ¶3. The most significant change for UNVIE with the arrival of the new Administration is its support for entry-into-force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). In order to support more intensive engagement on the CTBT with the Provisional Secretariat and other Missions, UNVIE has restored NTEC to its previous designation as the Arms Control Section, with a primary focus on implementing an effective CTBT. The Section will also retain responsibility for overseeing the Wassenaar Arrangement and assisting Washington with the Hague Code of Conduct. In the short term, the Arms Control Section will also retain responsibility for 1540 implementation and other cross-cutting terrorism issues. Mainstreaming Nuclear Terrorism -------------- ¶4. Primary responsibility for nuclear terrorism issues, including nuclear security and illicit trafficking, will return to the IAEA Section, taking advantage of the arrival of a new staff member from DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). This shift in responsibility facilitates our relationship with the IAEA, which is the focus of most UNVIE work on nuclear terrorism. It also reflects the new Administration's desire to make nuclear security a mainstream activity of the IAEA. The IAEA Section will be responsible for working with the IAEA to strengthen nuclear security, combat illicit nuclear trafficking, and support the Global Threat Reduction Initiative and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. It will also be the UNVIE point of liaison for the new DOE-detailee position at the World Institute for Nuclear Security, which was recently established in Vienna with USG support. ¶5. Other sections will still play important supporting roles, with the Arms Control Section playing a continuing role on 1540 implementation and the UN Affairs Section working with UNODC's Terrorism Prevention Branch to help countries drafting legislation on nuclear terrorism. USOSCE also has important activities in this area. Given the cross-cutting nature of this challenge, DCM will chair a mission-wide working group to ensure close coordination of Vienna-based nuclear terrorism issues. Other Realignments and Resource Requirements -------------- ¶6. Ref B announced the establishment of a separate Public Diplomacy element in December 2006. As part of our Mission Strategic Plan, we have requested the addition of a third position (a Professional Associate) to sustain our high level of global public diplomacy and augment it with an international visitors program and other outreach tools. We were pleased in this context to see that a Vienna Public Diplomacy position was included in the latest web site listing of Professional Associate offerings. ¶7. In September 2007, Mission established a small Policy Research and Advisory (PRA) staff. This staff is attached to the UNVIE Front Office and supports the Ambassador and DCM in formulating strategy and obtaining analytic support for policy initiatives. ¶8. With the exception of the request for an additional Public Diplomacy position (which is centrally funded),the realignments described above do not require additional resources in terms of funding or personnel. SCHULTE