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