DPRK: U.S. PROPOSES NEW SANCTIONS DESIGNATIONS

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000612 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC MCAP KN UNSC SUBJECT: DPRK: U.S. PROPOSES NEW SANCTIONS DESIGNATIONS ¶1. (SBU) The United States proposed on June 19 a package of new sanctions designations (individuals, entities and goods) to the UN Security Council's DPRK Sanctions Committee. Resolution 1874, adopted June 12 in response to the May DPRK nuclear test, tasked the Committee with making such designations within thirty days of the resolution's adoption. The United Kingdom, France and Japan have co-sponsored the package. Russia insisted that proposals for designating technical goods must be translated into all UN languages before being considered. The DPRK Sanctions Committee, with the support of the Secretariat, reviewed two other tasks contained in resolution 1874: the drafting of a Committee work program and the establishment of a UN Panel of Experts (POE) to help the Committee monitor and improve sanctions implementation. USUN has privately urged the Secretariat not to take action on these tasks until key countries -- namely, the P-5, Japan and South Korea -- provide input. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On June 19, the United States submitted to the UN Security Council's DPRK Sanctions Committee ("1718 Committee") a package of proposed new sanctions designations. Resolution 1874, adopted on June 12 in response to the DPRK's nuclear test in May, tasked the Committee with making such designations within thirty days of the resolution's adoption. The U.S. package included fifteen individuals and eight entities linked to the DPRK's WMD and ballistic missile programs, as well as new technical goods that would be banned for transfer to or from the DPRK. France, Japan and the United Kingdom formally co-sponsored the proposal; South Korea has indicated that it may co-sponsor at a later date. USUN provided Russia and China, the other two countries principally involved in the negotiation of resolution 1874, with copies of the package before it was submitted to the Committee. ¶3. (SBU) Also on June 19, the DPRK Sanctions Committee held its first meeting since the adoption of resolution 1874 to consider the implications of that resolution for the Committee's work. Turkish Perm Rep Ilkin, chair of the Committee, reviewed three principal taskings contained in the new resolution: 1) new sanctions designations, 2) drafting a workplan for the Committee, and 3) establishing a UN Panel of Experts (POE) to assist the Committee in monitoring and improving sanctions implementation. �A;¶4. (SBU) USUN Sanctions Unit chief presented the U.S. designations package to the Committee, characterizing it as a strong and credible response to the May 25 nuclear test. The designation of these entities, he said, would limit the DPRK's ability to proliferate WMD and their means of delivery. USUN emphasized that the United States is willing to answer questions or provide information to facilitate quick review of this package in Committee members' capitals. He noted also that the U.S. proposal from April 2009 for the designation of eight entities, which are subsidiaries of designated entities, remains on the table. ¶5. (SBU) The Russian representative pointedly reminded the Committee that, per Committee guidelines, proposals for designating technical goods must be translated into all UN languages before formal review. The French representative, noting his own country's robust support for multi-lingualism at the UN, urged Russia to be flexible on this point, but also vowed to seek accelerated translation of the technical documents. ¶6. (SBU) The chair thanked the United States, France, Japan and the United Kingdom for this designations package. He invited other Committee members also to put forth their own designation proposals, but set a deadline of June 26 for the receipt of new proposals. WORK PROGRAM / EXPERT PANEL -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The chair noted that resolution 1874 had also tasked the Committee with developing a "work program covering compliance, investigations, outreach, dialogue, assistance and cooperation." He invited the Secretariat to begin work on such a document, drawing upon plans developed for other sanctions committees. The U.S. and French delegations suggested that the Secretariat consider input from interested delegations before beginning to draft the work program. The Secretariat agreed. ¶8. (SBU) The chair then asked Loraine Rickard-Martin, the senior Secretariat official in charge of supporting the Committee, to review the steps required to establish a UN Panel of Experts (POE),as mandated in resolution 1874. Noting that the Secretariat had experience standing up expert panels for other UN sanctions regimes, Rickard-Martin explained that the Committee would need to consider the composition, location, tasks and function of the POE. ¶9. (SBU) Rickard-Martin encouraged the Committee to identify which areas of expertise would be needed for this team (e.g,. finance, WMD, regional). She said that, per normal practice, the Secretariat would consult its own roster of experts and perhaps solicit candidates informally. Rickard-Martin explained that priority would be given to the level of expertise, experience, qualifications and field experience; geographical and gender balance would also be considered. After the Secretariat identifies a slate of candidates, she said, the Committee would then be asked to approve it. (NOTE: On the margins of this meeting, USUN reminded the Secretariat that certain countries -- notably the P-5, Japan and South Korea -- had a particular interest in this group and that the Secretariat should therefore consult closely with this group before taking any action. END NOTE). ¶10. (SBU) The Committee will next meet on Friday June 26 to consider next steps on designations, the program of work and the POE. RICE