DPRK: COUNCIL FOCUSES ON SANCTIONS EXPERT PANEL

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001065 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC MCAP KN UNSC SUBJECT: DPRK: COUNCIL FOCUSES ON SANCTIONS EXPERT PANEL REPORT ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The chair of the Security Council's DPRK Sanctions Committee ("1718 Committee") briefed the Council about the Committee's activities over the previous ninety days, in particular noting its actions to respond to alleged sanctions violations and support the establishment of the Panel of Experts (POE). He also noted the POE's submission to the Council of its interim report. Japan, France, the UK and Austria lauded the POE's work and emphasized the need for full implementation of UNSCRs 1718 and 1874. Amb. Wolff urged the Committee to be active, called the POE's interim report an "excellent basis" for its activities and reminded the Council of the need to sustain international efforts to enforce sanctions on the DPRK. China, Russia and Libya noted the report and warned that the POE must act within its mandate and not encroach on Committee prerogatives. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Turkish Perm Rep Apakan, chair of the Security Council's DPRK Sanctions Committee ("1718 Committee") briefed the Security Council on November 19 about the Committee's activities over the previous ninety days (August 21 through November 18). He noted that in this period, the Panel of Experts (POE) -- an independent UN team mandated to monitor and help improve the implementation of UN sanctions imposed on the DPRK -- had begun its work. The POE, Apakan said, had submitted to the Council on November 11 an interim report on its efforts, as was requested in UNSCR 1874. ¶3. (SBU) Apakan highlighted the two reports of "alleged cases of violations" of UNSCRs 1718 and 1874: a report from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August and a report from the Republic of Korea (ROK) in October. Regarding the UAE case, he listed the various letters the Committee had sent to states involved in the incident to request more information. ¶4. (SBU) Japanese Perm Rep Takasu commended the POE for its interim report, which he called a "good framework" for its future work. Takasu noted "mixed signals" from the DPRK, including both indications that it is ready to return to the Six-Party Talks, but also provocative actions in violation of UNSCR 1874 such as the launch of short-range missiles in October and the announcement in November that it had completed reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods. These incidents, he explained, showed that the Committee must remain active and vigilant. ¶5. (SBU) French Charge de Riviere congratulated the POE for its work and urged vigilance, especially over maritime transport, in light of the two intercepted ships found carrying contraband. UK Deputy Perm Rep Parham lauded the POE's report and said that effective implementation of UNSCRs 1718 and 1874 would encourage the DPRK to return to the Six-Party Talks. He also paid tribute to the Committee's work following the successful interdiction of the vessel ANL Australia, which contained illicit cargo, and said he hoped the POE would help the Committee respond to this incident. Austrian Perm Rep Mayr-Harting also expressed appreciation for the POE's report and said that recent incidents of non-compliance demonstrated the need for more effective implementation of these measures. ¶6. (SBU) Amb. Wolff urged the 1718 Committee to be active in carrying out its mandate, saying that the Committee, with the POE's support, should become a model for effective follow-through on UN sanctions resolutions. He characterized the POE report as an "excellent basis" for its work in the months ahead. The POE, he said, can help shine a light on the recently-reported sanctions violations and recommend ways to prevent their recurrence. Wolff also reminded the Council of the need to maintain the international momentum behind full implementation of UNSCRs 1718/1874, especially in light of recent events such as the DPRK's missile launches. ¶7. (SBU) Chinese Deputy Perm Rep Liu, acknowledging that all countries are obligated to implement UNSCRs 1718/1874, urged against any expansion in the sanctions' scope that would affect the normal life and trade of the DPRK. Liu asserted that the Committee's work should be guided by its mandate and be "relevant to the political situation." He welcomed the recent enhancement of U.S.-DPRK bilateral contact. ¶8. (SBU) Russian Deputy Perm Rep Dolgov welcomed the "serious intent" in the POE's report, but urged the group not to go beyond its mandate or supersede the work of the Committee. He said that certain tasks -- such as assessing Member State reporting on their implementation or asking states to provide more information about alleged sanctions violations -- should remain the prerogative of the Committee. The 1718 Committee's work, Dolgov emphasized, must contribute to the resolution of the diplomatic dispute. Libyan Deputy Perm Rep Dabbashi observed a "lessening of tensions" on the Korean Peninsula. He added the POE must abide by its mandate and not encroach on the Committee's prerogatives. RICE