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DE RUEHTC #1909/01 2911323
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O 181323Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0553
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 1019
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UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001909 
 
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SENSITIVE 
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STATE FOR ISN/CB, SCA/PB, VCI/CCB, L/ACV, IO/UNP, 
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JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC 
COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN) 
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WINPAC FOR WALTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PK PREL CWC
SUBJECT: PAKISTANI CANDIDATE FOR CRITICAL OPCW CHAIRMANSHIP 
 
This is CWC-83-07. 
 
¶1.  (U)  This is an action message ) see para 8. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Summary.  The Organization for the Prohibition of 
Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will hold a five-year Review 
Conference in April 2008, only the second such conference in 
its ten-year history.  Negotiations are in full swing to 
choose a chairman, a critically important player in guiding 
the Conference, and potentially the future of the 
Organization.  Iran is working to take the chair, an outcome 
the U.S. would block.  The Pakistani ambassador accredited to 
OPCW, Sibte Yahva Naqvi, is willing to allow himself to be 
put forward for the chair, but faces mandatory retirement in 
November.  He believes US support for his candidacy with his 
Foreign Ministry would enable him to extend his tenure long 
enough to chair the Review Conference in April.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  BACKGROUND:  The second Review Conference (RevCon) 
on the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, an 
extraordinary conference convened by the treaty,s 
implementing organization once every five years, will be held 
in April of 2008 in The Hague.  Preparations are well under 
way.  Discussion over who will chair the conference has 
recently moved into high gear, and has raised a significant 
problem:  although procedurally the matter is not ironclad, 
there is a strong expectation that the Conference should be 
chaired this time around by a representative of the Asian 
regional group.  The Japanese have advised our delegation 
that Iran is putting forward its candidacy within the Asia 
Group and that no one else had yet come forward.  The Asia 
Group rarely discusses anything or contests its regional 
candidacies for leadership positions.   Japanese delegate 
told Del Reps in confidence that his government would not 
oppose Iran publicly, nor did he expect any other Asian 
delegation to do so. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Although the U.S. (and others) can and would block 
Iran,s taking the RevCon chair, we would prefer that Iran 
not be presented as the Asian candidate for a larger battle 
over the chairmanship, where consensus would be much more 
difficult to achieve.  The OPCW has, to date, operated 
successfully by consensus.  India apparently was the only 
other delegation that had initially expressed any interest in 
the chair, but their status as a chemical weapons possessor 
state makes that problematical. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Ambassador Javits spoke with the OPCW 
Director-General (DG) to discuss alternatives, particularly 
other potential candidates from the Asia Group.  Most of the 
likely candidates are unwilling or will be unavailable. 
Both Amb. Javits and the DG believe Pakistani ambassador 
Sibte Yahva Naqvi would be personally capable in the chair 
and could likely gather consensus support for his candidacy 
-- the right ingredients to sidetrack Iran,s ambition. 
However, Naqvi is subject to mandatory retirement (for age) 
and due to leave in the next few months. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The Ambassador phoned Naqvi on October 16, who 
came over right away to see him and express his interest. 
Naqvi is willing to arrange support in the Asian group which 
would come from them, not him, so as not to directly oppose 
Iran.  However, he had to check with his government on 
whether he could be extended to serve through the RevCon.  He 
phoned Amb. Javits the next day to say that his government 
has the proposal under consideration.  Naqvi explained that 
his foreign Minister had agreed to his staying on for a 
couple of months in 2008 but that he needs US reinforcement 
(a call from our Ambassador in Pakistan to the Foreign 
Minister) for extending his term through April. 
 
¶7. (SBU)  The procedural questions on the regional rotation 
of the chairmanship for the RevCon would be much easier to 
resolve if a consensus candidate emerges for the post.  We 
believe Naqvi is qualified to be that candidate, especially 
as he services as coordinator for the Asian regional group. 
Urgent action is needed now to avoid the debacle of a fight 
over Iran,s candidacy at the upcoming Conference of States 
Parties in early November. 
¶8.  (SBU)  ACTION REQUEST:   Delegation requests 
Department,s authorization for Embassy Islamabad to approach 
the Pakistani Foreign Minister to urge favorable 
consideration for Ambassador Naqvi,s request for an 
extension through April 2008 in order to serve as chairman of 
the OPCW Review Conference.  This position would be good for 
Pakistan, particularly if Naqvi steers the Conference 
productively, as we believe he would.  The OPCW has a low 
public profile among international organizations, but a well 
deserved reputation as one of the most effective. 
 
¶9. JAVITS SENDS. 
Arnall