Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USUNNEWYORK990
2009-11-03 23:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

DPRK: 1718 COMMITTEE PLEDGES SUPPORT TO PANEL OF

Tags:  PREL PHUM ETTC MCAP KN UNSC 
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DE RUCNDT #0990/01 3072352
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 032352Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7518
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 1213
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000990 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC MCAP KN UNSC
SUBJECT: DPRK: 1718 COMMITTEE PLEDGES SUPPORT TO PANEL OF
EXPERTS

Classified By: Amb. Alejandro Wolff for Reasons 1.4 (B),(D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000990

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC MCAP KN UNSC
SUBJECT: DPRK: 1718 COMMITTEE PLEDGES SUPPORT TO PANEL OF
EXPERTS

Classified By: Amb. Alejandro Wolff for Reasons 1.4 (B),(D)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Security Council's DPRK Sanctions
Committee ("1718 Committee") met on October 30 with the
newly-established Panel of Experts (POE),a team of UN
contractors mandated with helping monitor and improve UN
sanctions imposed on North Korea. POE members introduced
themselves and pledged to work closely with the Committee.
The POE coordinator noted that one expert (Chinese) has yet
to arrive in New York. Committee members, including Russia
and China, offered strong words of support. The P-3 and
Japan pointed to North Korea's recent launches of short-range
ballistic missiles as reason for the Committee to redouble
its efforts. The Committee chair noted that the Committee
will aim to complete by November 30 a delayed assessment of
reports received from Member States regarding their
implementation of UNSCR 1874. The chair also noted, without
discussion, the Committee's ongoing review of letters from
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Republic of Korea (ROK)
reporting alleged sanctions violations. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) On October 30, the UN Security Council's DPRK
Sanctions Committee ("1718 Committee") met with the Panel of
Experts (POE),a team of UN contractors mandated in UNSCR
1874 to help monitor and improve the implementation of UN
sanctions imposed on North Korea. The Committee chair,
Turkish Perm Rep Apakan, welcomed David Birch, the UK
coordinator of the seven-person team. The U.S., UK, French,
Japanese, South Korean and Russian experts introduced
themselves to the Committee. Birch noted, however, that one
POE member, the Chinese expert, has yet to arrive in New
York. Birch pledged to work closely with the Committee to
advance the full implementation of UNSCRs 1718 and 1874.


3. (SBU) The Chinese delegate welcomed the POE and
apologized for the delay in the Chinese expert's arrival.
The Russian delegate also welcomed the POE and expressed a
hope that the POE would "be under the leadership of the
Committee" and carry out "all the tasks set forth by the
Committee." The Austrian delegate said he believed the POE

would strengthen the Committee's capacity and encouraged the
group to share information for the benefit of all Committee
members.


4. (SBU) USUN Sanctions Unit chief noted the DPRK's recent
launch of short-range ballistic missiles, which he said
served as a reminder of the need to implement fully UNSCRs
1718 and 1874. He encouraged the POE to carry out its
mission robustly and to produce detailed reports for the
Council with recommendations for action. USUN also
encouraged the POE to devote attention to its mandate to
examine specific incidents of non-compliance, noting that the
Committee had recently received two reports documenting
sanctions violations that need to be investigated.


5. (SBU) The Japanese delegate also noted the October
launches of short-range ballistic missiles in violation of
UNSCR 1874. These launches, he said, illustrated the need to
ensure full implementation of the relevant resolutions.
Referring to reports received from the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) and Republic of Korea (ROK) of sanctions violations, he
asserted that the POE's expertise would help the Committee
deal with these incidents and similar ones in the future.
The UK delegate also referred to the short-range ballistic
missile launches as cause for concern and urged the Committee
to make progress on its program of work. The French delegate
told the POE that it could count on the Committee's full
support and also cited the missile launches.

OTHER ISSUES: PROGRAM OF WORK, IMPLEMENTATION
--------------


6. (SBU) The chair noted that the Committee's program of
work had envisioned the Committee completing, with the
support of the POE, a comprehensive assessment by October 1
of Member State reports on their implementation of UNSCR

1874. UNSCR 1874, he noted, had asked states to submit these
reports within forty-five days of the resolution's June 12
adoption (i.e., by July 27). Due to delays in the POE's
establishment, the chair noted, this assessment had been
delayed, but should be completed by November 30. (NOTE: As of
November 2, only 43 Member States had submitted an
implementation report.)


7. (C) The chair also noted that the Committee was still
reviewing two reports to the 1718 Committee about alleged
sanctions violations: the incident reported in August by the
UAE and the one reported in October by the ROK. The Chinese

delegate informed the Committee that China had recently
completed an investigation into its role in the UAE-reported
sanctions violation in which the shipping company involved
was believed to be based in Shanghai. He pledged to share
with the Committee the results of this investigation in the
coming days. The Committee did not discuss these incidents
further. (NOTE: The P-3 and Japan had encouraged the chair
not to lead a lengthy Committee debate on these incidents.
We assess that it would be more useful to hold
behind-the-scenes deliberations, particularly with Libya and
Russia who have questioned whether the ROK-reported find of
chemical protective suits actually constituted a violation of
the arms embargo in UNSCR 1874. END NOTE.)


8. (SBU) The chair explained that he would convene another
Committee meeting within two weeks to review the POE interim
report, which is due to the Security Council on November 12.
Rice