DPRK: 1718 COMMITTEE REPORTS ON ACTIVE WORK PERIOD

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000786 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC MCAP KN UNSC SUBJECT: DPRK: 1718 COMMITTEE REPORTS ON ACTIVE WORK PERIOD ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The acting chair of the Security Council's Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee briefed the Council about the Committee's activities over the previous ninety days, emphasizing its work to implement tasks contained in resolution 1874: new sanctions designations, approving a program of work and supporting the establishment of a Panel of Experts (POE). He said the POE may not be able to submit a comprehensive interim report by September 12, as requested in resolution 1874, and also noted that the Committee had just received a report of a possible sanctions violation. The United States welcomed the Committee's unity of purpose, encouraged new sanctions designations and said it hoped the Committee's future work would be "proactive and sustained." Japan, France and the UK welcomed the Committee's recent sanctions designations and encouraged it to remain active. China and Russia warned that the sanctions must not cause an unintended humanitarian impact. China highlighted what it termed the "reversibility clause" of the sanctions resolutions, whereby the Council agreed to lift or adjust the measures if the DPRK complied with its demands. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Turkish charge Fazli Corman, acting chair of the DPRK Sanctions Committee ("1718 Committee") briefed the Security Council on August 20 about the Committee's activities over the previous ninety days (May 14 through August 20). He noted that the Committee has carried out a number of tasks stemming from the Security Council's June 12 adoption of resolution 1874. Pursuant to that resolution, Corman said, the Committee adopted on July 15 a work program. Also as a result of a resolution 1874 tasking, he explained that the Committee designated for targeted sanctions on July 16 items, goods and entities, and agreed to continue working to identify entities that are acting on behalf of designated entities (i.e., subsidiaries) and designate additional items. Corman noted that, Ambassador Philip Goldberg, the U.S. Coordinator for the Implementation of Resolution 1874, briefed the Committee on July 30 about U.S. implementation of that resolution. Twenty-nine member states, he said, had since provided written reports to the Committee about the steps they have taken to implement resolution 1874. ¶3. (SBU) Corman explained that the Committee had held consultations with the Secretariat regarding resolution 1874's establishment of a Panel of Experts (POE). Noting that resolution 1874 had asked for an interim report from the POE by September 12, he observed that this timeframe may not allow sufficient time for a detailed report. Corman pledged to consult with the POE and Committee to determine whether a brief delay in the delivery of the report is advisable. Corman added that the Committee had recently received from the Member State a report of a possible sanctions violation. He said the Committee would investigate the matter in line with its mandate to examine and take appropriate action to respond to alleged violations and was preparing a draft reply to the Member State involved. (NOTE: This was a reference to the sanctions violation reported to the Committee by the United Arab Emirates on August 14. The UAE has requested that its report be kept confidential. END NOTE). ¶4. (SBU) USUN Minister Counselor highlighted the Committee's unity of purpose and the "unprecedented effort" worldwide to implement resolution 1874. He called the Committee's activities as an "essential component" of this global effort and congratulated the Committee for its July designations of entities, individuals and items linked to North Korea's proliferation efforts. Saying that the Committee's future work must be "proactive and sustained," USUN encouraged the Committee to be particularly active in responding to reports of non-compliance. He recognized that due to delays in establishing the POE, its interim report may not be as comprehensive and detailed as we might wish, but expressed the hope that the POE will provide the Council with additional information and recommendations as soon as possible. ¶5. (SBU) Japanese Deputy Perm Rep Okuda also welcomed the Committee's July designations of additional individuals, entities and items, adding that Japan hoped the Committee would continue to work for new designations. He called Ambassador Goldberg's briefing to the Committee "very useful" and welcomed Goldberg's upcoming trip to Japan to consult on 1874 implementation. ¶6. (SBU) French Deputy Perm Rep LaCroix said the "ball is in North Korea's court" to show its readiness to return to the Six-Party Talks. He said it was essential that the Committee continue work on new sanctions designations and follow through on cases of potential violations. UK Perm Rep Sawers also encouraged the Committee to continue designations work and said that the Committee will have important work to deal with the recent reported breach of the sanctions mentioned by Corman. ¶7. (SBU) Russian Deputy Perm Rep Dolgov emphasized that the measures imposed on the DPRK should not impose an undue humanitarian cost or otherwise interfere with the DPRK's legitimate trade. He emphasized Russia's approach to resolving the DPRK nuclear issue through political means in the context of the Six-Party Talks. Chinese Counselor Long said resolution 1874 sent a clear-cut message of the international community's condemnation of the DPRK's recent nuclear test, while at the same time leaving room for resuming diplomatic efforts. He added that China had adopted national practices to implement comprehensively resolutions 1874 and 1718, but that the measures should not cause an unintended humanitarian impact or jeopardize states' normal relations with the DPRK. Long pointed to what he called the "reversibility clause" in 1718, under which the Security Council had agreed to lift or adjust sanctions measures if the DPRK complies with the provisions of the relevant resolutions. RICE