PAKISTAN TELLS CD, "1864 IS DEAD"

UNCLAS GENEVA 000132

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM MNUC CDG PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN TELLS CD, "1864 IS DEAD"


1. (U) Summary. The early part of the week of February 8 saw
no progress toward a CD Program of Work as Bangladesh closed out
its portion of the rotating presidency. The only issue was whether
or not the Bangladeshi President would table a nonpaper to initiate
discussions on a Program of Work before he turned over the gavel.
The February 11 Plenary and Informal Consultations then provided
unexpected drama when the UN Director-General blistered the CD for
its failure to make progress early in the 2010 session, and
Pakistan was forced to lay its cards on the table as a result of
multiple interventions. Saying that the environment had changed
since adoption of last year's Program of Work, and that the actions
of unnamed states had destabilized the region, Pakistan stated that
"1864 is dead." End summary.



CD BUSINESS AS USUAL




2. (U) The week began with a visit to the CD by Italian
Deputy Foreign Minister Vincenzo Scotti on February 9. Scotti
urged the CD to seek immediate ratification of the CTBT that had
been negotiated in that same body, and to commence negotiations on
an FMCT as a complement to the current nonproliferation regime,
adding that the issue of stockpiles should be dealt with in
negotiations and not serve as a precondition to such negotiations.
He stressed the importance of adopting a Program of Work (PoW)
based on CD/1864 and emphasized that further discussion was needed
on the issue of negative security assurances (NSA).




3. (U) In that same Plenary, Syrian Ambassador Faysal Khabbaz
Hamoui encouraged the CD to adopt a PoW that could be based on
CD/1864, noting that "it needs new elements to improve it" for

2010. Although Bangladeshi Ambassador Hannan indicated that he
might table a nonpaper based on CD/1864 as a first step toward
development of a 2010 PoW, he did not do so on February 9 (nor did
he later in the week).




4. (SBU) In the WEOG of February 10, the Turkish Chair led a
discussion on alternate or parallel means of initiating a PoW and
beginning discussions on an approach to the FMCT. France, Austria,
UK, Hungary, Switzerland, and South Korea said a formal paper must
be tabled in the CD, stressing that a nonpaper was not a valid
basis for a PoW. Germany, UK, and Hungary said that Pakistan
should be specifically asked why it opposed CD/1864 and to offer
its own proposals. Austria, Norway, and Switzerland said that if
Bangladesh wouldn't do so, that Belarus, the next CD president,
should be pressured to formally table a paper.




5. (SBU) Canada shared that Cameroon, the last of the
scheduled presidents in this year's P6, had asked Canada if it was
willing to take over Cameroon's presidential duties at the end of
this year's CD session. Canada noted that Cameroon passed on its
previous turn at the presidency as well, and if Canada did in fact
move up to the 2010 P6, the 2011 P6 would have a distinctly
non-Western flavor. Sweden asserted that CD Rules of Procedure
would permit Canada to assist Cameroon with its 2010 presidency
without having to give up its 2011 presidential seat. On February
12, the Director-General persuaded Cameroon to take its turn as
president.



DIRECTOR-GENERAL COMES OUT SWINGING, PAKISTAN PROVIDES CLARITY




6. (U) February 11 saw the last Plenary of the Bangladeshi
Presidency. Right up to the beginning of that session, it was not
clear if Amb. Hannan would table a nonpaper to start discussions on
a PoW in the formal Plenary or not. He did not. Pakistan offered
effusive thanks to Amb. Hannan for his "courageous" efforts as
president of the CD. As Hannan was about to adjourn the formal
session in preparation for Informal Consultations, UNOG
Director-General Sergei Ordzhonikidze asked for the floor. He
noted his "great disappointment" as the lack of progress so far in
CD 2010. While there was a little progress last year in adopting
CD/1864, he referred to progress this year as a "minus" and said
the CD had actually "regressed." With substantial funding from the
United Nations, he said the CD had done nothing this year, calling
it "intolerable." When Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon asked him
what was happening in the CD, he said he told him "nothing is going

on."




7. (U) The Informal Consultations that followed saw a total
of 28 interventions over a period of more than 2 hours. While
saying it was not his preferred option, Amb. Hannan said he was
holding back tabling a nonpaper on a PoW. Germany began the
discussion by applauding the Director-General's remarks and calling
out Pakistan on its procedural block of CD progress, asking
specifically what were its concerns. In response, Pakistan
Ambassador Akram said that "1864 is dead," invoking Pakistani
national security interests as an overriding factor. He also
criticized the actions and policies of "some states" that had a
destabilizing effect on the region and had created a changed
environment from the one that prevailed when CD/1864 was adopted.
In response, Japan said, "If you say 1864 is dead, then you killed
it."




8. (SBU) China then spoke up to urge the CD to continue
consultations so that the divergent views of its members could be
considered. (Note. Amb. Hannan indicated to us that he had
refrained from tabling the nonpaper at China's specific request.
End note.) The majority of subsequent interventions emphasized
that there should be no pre-conditions to initiate FMCT
negotiations, reiterating the Shannon Mandate principle that the
inclusion of stockpiles is an issue to be addressed in the context
of FMCT negotiations. Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Egypt, Spain,
Netherlands, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, New Zealand, Japan,
Brazil, and the USDEL all expressed support for this approach.
During their interventions, NAM countries also made a point of
noting their desire to include stocks in FMCT negotiations. There
was some divergence on the need for a paper to proceed with the
work of the CD. Spain said there was no point in producing such a
nonpaper at this point in time. Germany, the Netherlands, South
Africa, and Brazil all specifically requested a text to work from.
Algeria suggested papers from anyone who wanted to submit them.




9. (U) Pakistan challenged the nuclear states to speak up on
the issue of stockpiles and the FMCT, saying it was ready to
negotiate on the other three CD core issues (nuclear disarmament,
NSA's, outer space). USDEL, noting that it had observed a
unilateral moratorium on the production of fissile materials for
more than 15 years, said that the U.S. signed on to CD/1864 with a
full understanding of the implications of the Shannon Mandate.
GRIFFITHS