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