VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1037/01 3202141
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 162141Z NOV 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3131

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001037 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC PREL AORC KPAO PTER KNNP
SUBJECT: UNSC 1540 COMMITTEE: NEW WEBSITE, PROGRESS ON 1673 
REPORT AND FUTURE THEMATIC DISCUSSIONS 
 
REF: USUN 866 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  On November 14, the Security Council's 1540 
Committee discussed the Committee's new website, plans to 
inform regional groups about the Committee's recent letter 
requesting information from States and transmitting the 
Committee's implementation matrices to them, and the 
possibility of holding a thematic Committee discussion on 
biosecurity and biosafety.  The 1540 panel of experts also 
gave a brief update on its preparation of the report the 
Committee will present to the Security Council next April, 
pursuant to resolution 1673.  As to assistance decisions, 
Committee members asked the Chairman for more time to 
consider last-minute changes proposed by South Africa.  The 
next 1540 Committee meeting will take place during the week 
of November 19 - 23.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  Committee members began the meeting with a presentation 
from the Secretariat's Department of Public Information on 
the new 1540 Committee website.  The new website will have a 
more user-friendly appearance with easier access to resources 
such as Committee documents and papers, the directory of 
assistance, national reports, States' implementation 
matrices, and the legislative database.  The site will also 
have useful features for States, including reporting 
guidelines and the assistance template.  States will be able 
to use the website to email assistance information to the 
Committee once the assistance template is finalized.  To 
address the preference of some States to limit the 
dissemination of their matrices and assistance requests, the 
Secretariat will work with the Committee to develop a 
 
SIPDIS 
password-protected site that is separate from the public 
website.  USUN emphasized that the Committee's website should 
make documents from all of the 1540-related workshops 
available. 
 
¶3.  The Chairman informed members that many Permanent 
Representatives have approached him with questions on how to 
respond to the Committee's most recent letter requesting 
information and transmitting States' implementation matrices 
(reftel).  The Chairman proposed meeting with regional groups 
at the expert level to answer missions' questions about the 
letter and assistance matrices.  USUN suggested sending a 
letter also to regional organizations to raise their members' 
awareness of the letter and the need for States to consent to 
having the Committee post their assistance matrices on the 
1540 website.  Delegations voiced support for this approach. 
Russia, however, said that the Committee should first have a 
chance to review the list of invited organizations and the 
text of the invitation letter.  UK suggested using the list 
of organizations already agreed to at the Counter-terrorism 
Committee's October meeting with other international and 
regional organizations in Nairobi, which one of the 1540 
Committee's experts attended. 
 
¶4.  The 1540 panel of experts coordinator briefed the 
Committee on the preparation of the Committee's report to the 
Security Council, which must be submitted by April 27, 2008 
pursuant to resolution 1673.  He said the panel circulated a 
preliminary report and was now reviewing and updating 
matrices using information from official websites and the 
legislative database.  South Africa asked for a list 
indicating which experts were assigned to specific matrices 
and a roadmap on the report's preparation with deadlines for 
each section's completion.  Russia warned that the Committee 
should not micromanage the panel of experts, but said a 
mechanism for reviewing the report's progress would be 
useful.  UK's representative stressed the need to complete 
the report and said the Committee might have to move forward 
based on the best information available, even if the 
Committee does not have all responses from States. 
 
¶5.  Committee members asked the Chairman for more time to 
consider South Africa's proposed changes to two decisions 
relating to the Committee's work on technical assistance. 
The Chairman agreed, but asked members to bring the issue to 
a close as quickly as possible.  (Comment: Since the meeting, 
UKUN has expressed concern to USUN about South Africa's 
changes.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶6.  The 1540 panel of experts briefly introduced biosafety 
and biosecurity as possible topics for future thematic 
discussions within the Committee.  The panel noted that 
biosafety and biosecurity measures could assist with the 
implementation of resolution 1540.  According to the panel of 
experts, by exploring the complexity and dual-use nature of 
biotechnologies, the Committee could suggest measures to 
build States' capacity to prevent the prohibited use of such 
technology, without restricting its use for legitimate 
purposes.  The panel noted anti-trafficking activities and 
cooperative initiatives with industry and public health 
representatives as possible measures to assist 1540 
implementation.  The Chairman suggested the Committee begin a 
discussion on these topics during its next meeting.  Russia 
said it would not be in a position to begin discussions 
without a background paper on these topics from the panel of 
experts.  (NOTE: In a previous meeting, South Africa and 
Russia indicated reservations about biosafety and biosecurity 
measures because of their potential to impinge on legitimate 
trade.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶7.  The next Committee meeting will likely take place during 
the week of November 19 - 23. 
Khalilzad