AMBASSADOR RICE PREPS P5 ON U.S. PLANS FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000748 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2019 TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL NPT UNSC SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE PREPS P5 ON U.S. PLANS FOR NON-PROLIFERATION AND DISARMAMENT SUMMIT USUN NEW Y 00000748 001.3 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Rice for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Ambassador Rice on August 4 briefed the P5 delegations on U.S. plans to convene a Security Council summit on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament during the U.S. Presidency of the Council in September. Ambassador Rice listed a number of possible topics that could be included in the discussion, including UNSC resolution 1540, responsibility of the P5 to meet their NPT commitments and work toward the elimination of nuclear weapons, support for progress on START, FMCT, Additional Protocol, CTBT, securing nuclear weapons material, and support for mechanisms to ensure nuclear fuel supply, and stressed that the meeting would not focus on any particular country. Rice underscored the U.S. desire to adopt a substantive Security Council product. U.K. PermRep Sawers was the most supportive of the idea, while French PermRep Ripert, on instructions, enumerated several potential obstacles to a successful summit and wanted any product to make specific mention of Iran and DPRK. Russian Deputy PermRep Shcherbak showed cautious optimism and appeared to share most U.S. goals. Chinese Deputy PermRep Liu was helpful in advancing the discussion but noncommittal on substance as he said he was awaiting final instructions from Beijing. The P5 agreed that Ambassador Rice should share the proposed date and topic of the summit with other Council members later that day during Council consultations, which she did. End Summary. ¶2. (C) In an August 4 meeting with the P5, Ambassador Rice briefed on U.S. plans to convene a Security Council summit on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament during the U.S. Presidency of the Council in September, explaining that we envision President Obama presiding over a substantive Council meeting at 9 a.m. on the morning of September 24 that would underline key nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation goals and result in a Council product, preferably a resolution. She listed a number of possible topics to consider for the discussion and product, including strengthening UNSC resolution 1540, START, FMCT, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, securing loose nuclear material, building support for providing assurances of a nuclear fuel supply, but stressed that these were merely suggestions and that the U.S. looks forward to discussing specifics with Council colleagues. She added that the meeting and product would not focus on specific countries because the Security Council has already acted on these, mostly recently with the June 2009 passage of resolution 1874 on DPRK. Furthermore, in September the Council will have just examined UNSC resolution 1737 (2006),which imposed sanctions on Iran. United Kingdom: Enthusiastic Embrace -------------- ¶3. (C) U.K. PermRep Sawers said the U.S. proposal was "very welcome and timely," and that Prime Minister Brown shares the same goal. He said a summit in September would move forward the disarmament and non-proliferation issues in preparation for the 2010 NPT Review Conference and as such the summit should be a success. Sawers noted, "There is a good deal of common ground in the P5 as seen in the success of the NPT Preparatory Committee (in May)." Sawers echoed Ambassador Rice's suggestion that a Council product not be country-specific, because he said the Security Council "already has a good record on North Korea and Iran," and that individual leaders can make their own statements on Iran and North Korea as they see fit. Lastly, he said the Council should be clear that the focus is on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, not conventional weapons, which is thoroughly dealt with in the General Assembly. Russia: Support with Caveats -------------- ¶4. (C) Russian Deputy PermRep Shcherbak welcomed the initiative, though he caveated that given the nature of the summit, it would take time to formalize a decision by President Medvedev and said he hoped to have instructions by Friday, August 7. Ambassador Rice said she understood the need for more time to consider the issue, but she noted that the ten elected members of the Council need time to consider the proposal and must feel they are part of the negotiating process. Shcherbak agreed that a Council product not focus on specific countries "to avoid confrontation" among the P5 and that it be balanced to take into account the three pillars of the NPT--nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and assistance in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. China: Non-Committal with a Smile -------------- USUN NEW Y 00000748 002.2 OF 002 ¶5. (C) Chinese Deputy PermRep Liu said his mission had received no firm instructions from Beijing and could not firmly commit itself to the proposal, but based on his overall comments China appears to support the general agenda of a disarmament and non-proliferation summit. Broadly, Liu said a UNSC product should be political not technical, it should not single out DPRK or Iran, and it needs to reflect unanimity of the Council. Liu offered his personal view that it might be difficult procedurally to have the Security Council take up a topic in which the General Assembly -- most notably in the First Committee Disarmament) -- is engaged. Liu said a summit could engender criticism by non-Council members that the Security Council was appropriating an issue historically handled by the General Assembly. Ambassador Rice responded that it is appropriate for the Security Council to take up these topics because the work of the Council and the Assembly are not mutually exclusive. France: Mildly Obstructionist -------------- ¶6. (C) French PermRep Ripert started off by asking a number of cautionary questions: what would the elements of a product be; what are the chances of getting something significant; how will the elected members react; and how might Libyan leader Qadhafi's presence (and likely objections) weaken an ultimate product? He also stressed that a product should mention specific countries, namely Iran and North Korea, though he was alone in his insistence. Ripert asked, "How can the heads of state agree to a product that does not recall past Council decisions?" a reference to the various resolutions on Iran and DPRK. He argued that omitting mention of the two countries would signal to the rest of the world that the Council could not reach consensus on naming them as proliferators. (Note: The French poloff called U.S. poloff later to stress that France is absolutely adamant that any product include specific mention of DPRK and Iran, and that merely recalling previous resolutions would not be sufficient. End note.) Like Shcherbak Ripert said a product must keep a balance between the three NPT pillars: nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and assistance in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, and said it was important to stress progress in multilateral fora, and to mention CTBT prospects and the G8 Aquila declaration. Like Liu, Ripert offered procedural obstacles to a summit on disarmament and non-proliferation, mentioning the possible pitfalls of Council action prior to the NPT Review Conference in 2010. Ripert concluded his remarks by emphasizing that there must be P5 agreement on a draft before the non-permanent members begin negotiating the text. Informing the E-10 -------------- ¶7. (C) The P5 agreed that the U.S. should share the proposed date and topic with the elected Council members in consultations later the same day. Ambassador Rice raised the issue during consultations and informed Council members of the U.S. intention to hold a heads-of-state Security Council summit during the U.S. Council presidency in September, focused on the topic of nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. Next Steps -------------- ¶8. (SBU) USUN will work on potential elements for inclusion in a product to frame the discussion and begin discussions with Council members to negotiate a potential outcome document. RICE