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RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #4015/01 2701336
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271336Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0444
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0039
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0141
RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0029
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0237
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0078
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 0021
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1185
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0189
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0076
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 0024
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1461
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0305
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1538
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 0318
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0035
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0510
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0015
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004015 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ELA AND ISN/CPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL AORC KPAO PTER UNSC KNNP EU OSCE ARF
OAS, JO 
SUBJECT: FIRST UNSCR 1540 OUTREACH IN ARAB REGION PROMOTES 
IMPLEMENTATION DIALOGUE 
 
 
UNSCR 1540 Workshop in Amman 
---------------------------- 
 
¶1. (U) Summary. The Regional Seminar, "Implementing United 
Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) for Arab 
States," took place on 4-5 September 2007 in Amman, Jordan. 
Jordan hosted the workshop jointly with the United Nations 
Office for Disarmament Affairs (UN ODA) in close cooperation 
with the United States as co-sponsor along with the EU and 
Norway.  A total of 44 participants from states in the 
region, international and regional organizations, and states 
from outside the region attended the workshop. 
 
¶2. (U) This workshop was carried out within a similar 
framework as outreach activities in 2006 that took place in 
China, Ghana, and Lima.  The focus of this workshop was on 
furthering implementation (as all but one of the Arab 
countries in attendance had submitted a report) and 
encouragement for the Arab region to increase its commitment 
to the obligations of UNSCR 1540.  Themes proposed since the 
United States and the Organization for Security and 
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held a 1540 Workshop were 
repeated by the 1540 Chair Ambassador Burian and several 
delegations.  Although the Arab region has just now hosted 
its first event, the choice of location and timing permitted 
a useful dialogue.  The DOE/Sandia-funded Cooperative 
Monitoring Center (CMC) created an atmosphere which focused 
on implementation.  A representative of the Arab League (Mr. 
Abdallah Kailani) took careful note of the OSCE example, as 
well as the first agenda presentation focused on 
proliferation financing at a UN-sponsored workshop by the 
Middle East & North Africa Financial Action Task Force 
(MENAFATF).  See paragraph 7 for way ahead observations.  End 
summary. 
 
¶3. (U) The workshop served as the first regional forum to 
focus on implementation as called for in UNSCR 1673 (which 
extended the work of the 1540 Committee for two years).  The 
workshop had seven sessions: Session I - Status of UNSC 
Resolution 1540 Reporting and Implementation Globally and in 
the Arab Region; Session II -- National Experiences in 
Implementation of Nonproliferation Treaties and UNSCR 1540; 
Session III - Roles for Intergovernmental Organizations 
(IAEA, OPCW, WCO); Session IV - Role for Regional 
Intergovernmental Organizations; Session V - Implementation 
and Assistance Planning for UNSCR 1540; Session VI - 
Assistance requests, and Session VII Themes, Priorities, and 
Next Steps.  The full texts of presentations are available 
from the UN 1540 Coordinator as well as from the United 
Nations. 
 
¶4. (U) In opening remarks, Ms. Hannelore Hoppe of UN ODA 
reminded participants that: implementation of Resolution 1540 
(2004) is a long-term and continual process; there was a 
continuing need to share experiences on the issue of weapons 
of mass destruction; concrete challenges exist with respect 
to the implementation of the resolution; and UN ODA remains 
firmly committed to furthering international disarmament and 
non-proliferation instruments by working with the 1540 
Committee.  1540 Committee Chair Burian noted: the timeliness 
of the workshop; his belief that the discussion would support 
further work in the Arab League or other regional 
organizations; the need for assistance in the preparation of 
plans of action; and the Committee's interest in helping to 
serve as a clearinghouse for assistance in implementation of 
the established obligations of the resolution.  Ambassador 
Hale and the other co-sponsors provided remarks and 
reinforced these themes. 
 
AMMAN 00004015  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) The liveliest discussion took place on day 2 when the 
provisions for developing road maps and assistance were 
discussed.  Delegations welcomed the interventions by the 
United States and Norway on ways to obtain technical 
assistance.  Moreover, the examples cited from previous 
workshops and the overview of possible assistance programs 
prompted interesting exchanges by representatives from Libya, 
Morocco, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab League.  Danish 
Ambassador Bernhard from the OSCE's Forum for Security 
Cooperation welcomed the interest in working with the Arab 
League to increase regional awareness.  NOTE:  CMC later 
distributed in Arabic the Organization of American States 
(OAS) 1540 regional resolution adopted in June, 2007.  End 
note. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Jordan, Libya, Egypt, Comoros, Syria, Saudi Arabia, 
and Lebanon all took the floor at various times, with three 
general themes being noted.  First, although all countries 
agreed that WMD proliferation is a threat, they emphasized to 
varying degrees the difficult nuclear issue in the region 
because of Israel's presumed possession of nuclear weapons. 
Second, since the region strives to be a nuclear free zone, 
participants focused on effective controls related to 
chemical, biological, and means of delivery through export 
and border controls.  And third, while the Arab League could 
serve as a useful forum, the outstanding nuclear issues made 
an agreement along the lines of the OAS's more challenging. 
COMMENT:  Prior to the workshop, post and 1540 Coordinator 
met with the Head of the Intentional Organizations Department 
of the Jordanian MFA, Mr. Ayman Aamiry, who echoed similar 
themes.  He indicated that Jordan was happy to serve as the 
host at this first event, but urged the United States to 
focus next on other regional states - specifically suggesting 
Egypt.  His comments were reinforced as Egypt provided the 
only politically charged statement of the workshop: the 
Egyptian representative, Mr. Aly Sirry, Director, Department 
of Disarmament Affairs, chose to focus on issues often raised 
by Indonesia, South Africa and non-aligned states questioning 
the legitimacy of a Security Council-imposed resolution.  End 
comment. 
 
¶7. (U) During a private post-workshop discussion with the 
Committee Chair, Ambassador Burian indicated to the 1540 
Coordinator his view that the workshop exceeded his 
expectations.  Aside from the Egyptian intervention noted in 
paragraph 6, he thought the CMC (as a Jordanian 
nongovernmental organization) helped to focus the discussion 
on practical implementation and not on broader political 
issues.  He lamented the Norwegian and EU practice of 
sponsoring but not actively working to shape the agenda or 
outcome - while recognizing that neither are members of the 
Committee itself.  He also welcomed the first participation 
of the World Customs Organization from its headquarters in 
Brussels and the MENAFATF presentation.  Last, Burian noted 
his time as Chair would end soon, and Washington should start 
considering possible next steps for the Chair and the 
Committee. 
 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
 
Hale