CWC: WRAP-UP FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 19, 2010

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000107 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/CB, VCI/CCA, L/NPV, IO/MPR, SECDEF FOR OSD/GSA/CN,CP> JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC COMMERCE FOR BIS (BROWN, DENYER AND CRISTOFARO) NSC FOR LUTES WINPAC FOR WALTER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL AORC OPCW CWC SUBJECT: CWC: WRAP-UP FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 19, 2010 REF: THE HAGUE 89 This is CWC-13-10 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) As preparations advanced for the Executive Council meeting (EC-59) February 22-26 (reftel), facilitators held informal consultations on Article XI and the Report on the Status of Implementation of the External Auditor's Recommendations. The Western European and Others Group (WEOG) held its weekly meeting February 16 to discuss the EC-59 issues. WEOG agreed to the nomination of the French Ambassador as the next EC Chairman, and also agreed that its first meeting during EC-59 should be expanded to include the like-minded states known as WEOG-Plus. -------------- WEOG -------------- ¶2. (SBU) At its regular Tuesday meeting February 16, the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) officially agreed to the nomination of French Ambassador Jean-Francois Blarel as WEOG's choice to chair the Executive Council (EC) beginning in May ¶2010. French Delegate Raja Rabia was also approved as WEOG's nominee to facilitate discussions on Universality, pending agreement from the other regional groups. After acclamation by applause, Blarel said that he would work for a good transition at the helm of the Organization and to address sensitive issues, including continuing the consultations on the final destruction deadlines begun by current EC Chairman Lomonaco (Mexico). ¶3. (SBU) WEOG Coordinator Ruth Surkau (Germany) then asked for views on expanding the WEOG meeting during the EC to include non-WEOG European Union members, Japan and South Korea. The group approved an expanded WEOG-Plus meeting at the beginning of EC-59 (February 23),with the Australian delegate proposing more regular meetings as WEOG-Plus as often as every fortnight. The Swiss delegate said the expanded group was useful but that WEOG should not institutionalize it; the Dutch Ambassador agreed with that view. ¶4. (SBU) Turning to the EC-59 agenda, the group discussed the controversy over the Director- General's proposed agenda item on the composition of the Technical Secretariat (TS) staff and South Africa's strong opposition (reftel). Several delegations (UK, U.S., Germany, Italy, Netherlands) spoke in favor of having the Council decide what should be published in a report on TS staffing, rather than one delegation (South Africa) obtaining information privately from the TS and then issuing a national paper, as happened in October. Surkau also pointed to another new document on Key Terms that may arouse heated debate, particularly on the part of Iran. ¶5. (SBU) There was little discussion on the Article XI consultation scheduled for February 26 (see below),or the status of the external auditor's recommendations (also below). There was more interest when the Dutch Ambassador asked if anyone else had been invited to the South African lunch at the beginning of the EC week. The U.S., UK, German and Spanish delegations acknowledged invitations but no one had heard what the agenda might be. ¶6. (SBU) The Australian delegate announced for facilitator Mike Byers, who was not present, that he planned to defer consideration of the TS Note on the OPCW's counter-terrorism efforts until he could hold a discussion (likely in March). Surkau announced the two open meetings on industry issues, on sampling and analysis and site selection for Other Chemical Production Facilities (OCPFs),now scheduled for February 25. -------------- ARTICLE XI -------------- ¶7. (U) Facilitator Chen Kai (China) convened a meeting on February 19 to kick off discussions on the Article XI workshop agreed during the Conference of the States Parties (CSP-14) in December. The Cuban Ambassador briefly introduced a non-paper prepared by his delegation with "terms of reference" and a draft schedule for the workshop. He said that the Cuban non-paper was just one input in shaping the workshop and also noted that he expects substantive discussion on the topic at EC-59. Kumaresh Misra (Head, International Cooperation Branch) then presented a TS draft concept paper, which he described as having many similarities to the Cuban non-paper. (Del Note: Both the TS and Cuban non-papers will be sent by e-mail to ISN/CB. End Note.) ¶8. (U) Turning to the timing of the workshop, Chen said that October (as proposed by Cuba) or later would be realistic; he later stated that the workshop's conclusions would need to be considered by the EC and then the CSP, so it would need to be held before the October EC. The Australian delegate, noting that funding would be an important factor, suggested scheduling the workshop close to another meeting in The Hague (e.g., the annual meeting for National Authorities in late November) to reduce travel expenses. Misra noted that the audience might be different to that attending the National Authorities meeting, so there might not be significant savings. The Tunisian Ambassador reminded delegations that Tunisia will be hosting ASSISTEX-3 in mid-October. The South African delegate suggested holding the workshop in late September. ¶9. (U) Responding to a request for more detail on the TS projected budget for the workshop, Misra stated that it is a very rough estimate and will depend on how many participants would be funded, costs for facilitators and other meeting expenses. The Iranian delegate then raised a number of concerns with both the Cuban and TS draft papers. He said that it would be difficult to limit participation to only 80 and that 2-2.5 days would not be enough time to discuss the "very important" issues related to "all aspects" for the "full implementation" of Article XI. The UK delegate noted that there have been previous non-papers with ideas for the workshop, including one circulated by the UK in July 2008. The Dutch Ambassador, referring to the CSP-14 decision authorizing the workshop (C-14/DEC.11),stressed the need to remain within the mandate given by the decision. Turning to the Cuban non-paper, he noted that one subset of its proposed agenda appears to be technical while the other subset is clearly political. ¶10. (SBU) There was almost no mention of the TS annual report on Article XI implementation, up for Qannual report on Article XI implementation, up for consideration at EC-59. Chen seems to be focused entirely on the workshop and announced plans to hold a follow-on consultation between EC-59 and EC-60 with a view to finalizing details in for approval at EC-61 in June. -------------- -------------- IMPLEMENTATION OF EXTERNAL AUDITOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS -------------- -------------- ¶11. (U) On February 17, Facilitator Nik Granger (U.S.) chaired a meeting on the semi-annual report on TS implementation of outstanding recommendations by the External Auditor. Members of the TS gave oral updates on five sets of recommendations dating from between 2005 and 2008: - unliquidated obligations - recruitment contract to Creative Marketing Services - non-expendable property - procurement - reduction in receivables due related to the U.S.- OPCW tax reimbursement agreement. ¶12. (U) Based on the TS updates, delegations agreed to close consideration of the relevant recommendations as they either have been fully implemented or are no longer valid. There was some discussion about the changes to the Financial Rules and Regulations necessitated by the introduction of IPSAS (the International Public Sector Accounting Standards),and the German delegate requested that the amendments be circulated as soon as possible to give sufficient time for review even though they will be taken up by the Advisory Body on Administrative and Financial Matters (ABAF) before coming before the EC for consideration in June. The facilitator also asked delegations to consider whether the current semi-annual reporting by the TS -- introduced in 2001 -- still is necessary and proposed discussing the matter after the release of the External Auditor's Report for 2009, due in May. ¶13. (U) BEIK SENDS. LEVIN