DPRK SANCTIONS COMMITTEE MAKES MINIMAL PROGRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000416 E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2019 TAGS: KN PREL PHUM ETTC MCAP SUBJECT: DPRK SANCTIONS COMMITTEE MAKES MINIMAL PROGRESS REF: A. USUN 412 ¶B. USUN 407 Classified By: Amb. Alex Wolff for Reasons 1.4 (B),(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On April 22, the UN Security Council's DPRK Sanctions Committee made some minimal progress in considering new sanctions designations, as was requested by the Security Council on April 13 after the DPRK missile launch. The Committee is nearing consensus on updating the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) annex of prohibited goods, but China, Russia and Vietnam lack instructions from capital on proposals to designate entities and additional technical items. Libya also lacks instructions, but said it would not break consensus on a final package. UK, France, Turkey, Croatia, Japan, Burkina Faso, Austria and Costa Rica are now prepared to support all the tabled designation proposals. U.S., UK, French and Japanese delegates emphasized that the Committee should approve a serious, credible package of designations of both goods and entities by the April 24 deadline requested by the Council. The Committee chair said he would not request an extension of this deadline and intends to hold additio nal meetings on April 23 and April 24. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) On Wednesday April 22, the UN Security Council's DPRK Sanctions Committee ("1718 Committee") met for the third day in a row to continue its review of proposals for the designation of new goods and entities. (NOTE: In response to the DPRK's missile launch, the Security Council adopted Presidential Statement on April 13 directing the Committee to make such designations by April 24. Per UNSCR 1718, the DPRK Sanctions Committee has a mandate to designate entities linked to the DPRK's proscribed WMD and missile program, which will then be subject to an asset freeze. The Committee also may identify specific technical goods that States will be prohibited from transfer to or from the DPRK. END NOTE). Turkish Perm Rep Ilkin, Committee chair, again focused the Committee's attention on proposals (ref A and B) to update the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) annex in UNSCR 1718, designate eight additional technical items (seven proposed by the United States, one by the United Kingdom), and designate entities (eleven proposed by the United States, three by Japan). ¶3. (C) The Chinese delegate, saying he was under new instructions, said he could now support updating the MTCR Annex. Citing sensitivities over China's non-membership in the MTCR, he said that that China had overcome "great political difficulties" to be able to support this list and he further requested that the chair refer to this update solely by its UN reference number (S/2009/205) instead of identifying it as an MTCR document. The Chinese delegate reported he had no instructions on the additional technical items or entities. The Russian delegate lauded the progress he believed the Committee had been making, but noted that it has been difficult for all of the relevant Russian government agencies to review the information within the allotted timeframe. He reiterated Russia's proposal that the Committee call for vigilance on -- as opposed to a ban of -- the technical items as an interim measure while the Committee continues its review of these items. The Russian delegate also said he had no instruction s on the entities. ¶4. (C) The Vietnamese delegate expressed support for the MTCR Annex update, but said he had no instructions on the additional items or entities. The Libyan delegate said that Libya opposes the three Japan-proposed entities and lacks instructions on the other tabled proposals. He added, however, that in the absence of new instructions from Tripoli, the Libyan mission did not intend to break consensus. ¶5. (C) The Chair confirmed the previously-expressed support of UK, France, Turkey, Croatia, Japan and Burkina Faso for all the proposed designations. The Austrian and Costa Rican delegates -- who had said at the previous meeting that they were not prepared to offer final agreement on the tabled proposals -- informed the Chair that they were now ready to support all designations. The Ugandan and Mexican delegates said that they could now agree "in principle" to the designations. ¶6. (C) USUN Sanctions Unit chief welcomed the emerging consensus on updating the MTCR Annex, but reiterated that the United States expected the Committee to approve a serious, credible designation package by April 24. Any final designation package, he added, must include both goods and a number of high-value entities; solely updating MTCR Annex would not be sufficient. The UK, French and Japanese delegates echoed these themes. The French delegate emphasized that all Council members had agreed to this timeframe and made a political commitment to support designations. The Japanese delegate also defended Japan's proposals for three additional entities, including a DPRK hospital that some Committee members said had a legitimate civilian purpose but that Japan believed met the UNSCR 1718 criteria of being linked to the DPRK's WMD-related programs. ¶7. (C) The Chair said that he believed the Security Council's April 13 PRST was very clear on the timeframe: the Committee either acts by April 24 or else the Security Council will act. He asserted that he therefore had no intention of asking for an extension of the April 24 deadline. The chair said he intends to convene additional Committee meetings on Thursday April 23 and Friday April 24. At the April 24 meeting, he said, the Committee would need to discuss the content of the Committee's report to the Security Council on its efforts, as was requested in the PRST. Rice NNNN End Cable Text