VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1170 3481839
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141839Z DEC 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3337
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1410

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001170 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC UNSC PREL KPAO PTER KNNP
SUBJECT: NATO SEEKS COOPERATION WITH 1540 COMMITTEE 
 
REF: KONZET/SANDAGE/WUCHTE EMAIL--12/13/07 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  NATO Assistant Secretary General Martin Erdmann 
(Germany) delivered the first NATO briefing to the Security 
Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 
("1540 Committee") on December 11.  Erdmann said 1540 issues 
were a central part of NATO counter-proliferation efforts and 
underscored the UN's leadership in counter-terrorism and the 
prevention of WMD proliferation by non-State actors.  Erdmann 
offered NATO's support to strengthen 1540 implementation and 
awareness and outlined practical steps for NATO cooperation 
with the 1540 Committee.   In other matters, Committee 
experts said they aim to have a draft of the report pursuant 
to 1673 prepared for the Committee by March 1.  The next 
Committee meeting will take place December 17.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  On December 11, NATO Assistant Secretary General Martin 
Erdmann (Germany) briefed the 1540 Committee for the first 
time and offered his views on possible NATO - UN cooperation 
on 1540.  Erdmann said NATO was fully committed to resolution 
1540 and viewed it as the framework that should underpin all 
national efforts to combat proliferation of weapons of mass 
destruction (WMD).  NATO supported the UN's central role in 
countering terrorism and proliferation of WMD by non-State 
actors, Erdmann emphasized. 
 
¶3.  Erdmann highlighted two examples of successful NATO - UN 
cooperation on counter-terrorism: NATO's contribution to ISAF 
forces that support the UN mission in Afghanistan; and 
operation "Active Endeavor," a maritime surveillance mission 
in the Mediterranean Sea that aims to prevent terrorists' 
misuse of international waters.  As to what assets NATO could 
make available to the 1540 Committee, Erdmann noted NATO's 67 
partnership countries; experience in Afghanistan; individual 
partnership programs on border security, export control and 
security sector reform; NATO's WMD Center; and NATO 
conferences and direct assistance to organizations such as 
INTERPOL, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe (OSCE), and the Organization for the Prohibition of 
Chemical Weapons (OPCW). 
 
¶4.  In terms of specific steps to support 1540 efforts, 
Erdmann said NATO could use its resources to: encourage 
partner States to prepare timely national reports to the 
Committee; include 1540 issues in non-proliferation 
discussions with all NATO partners; build bridges to the 
Committee by raising awareness of 1540 requirements in NATO 
conferences and workshops; establish close links between 
NATO's WMD Center and the UN; and explore the possibility of 
creating a trust fund for 1540 activities in NATO partner 
countries. 
 
¶5.  Responding to Erdmann's remarks, the Chairman said NATO 
could add value by helping to raise awareness on 1540 
implementation.  Russia said cooperation with NATO was useful 
and should be continued, adding that the Committee should 
consider outreach to similar pol-mil organizations such as 
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective 
Security Treaty Organization, or the Commonwealth of 
Independent States (CIS).  USUN also welcomed Erdmann's 
comments and asked that a written copy of Erdmann's statement 
be circulated in the Committee to assist the Committee's 
follow up with NATO. 
 
¶6.  In other matters, Committee experts said that any 
information on national implementation reports received after 
January 31 would not be reflected in the report the Committee 
will submit to the Security Council in April 2008 pursuant to 
resolution 1673 (2006).  (NOTE:  Since the Committee's letter 
requesting states' input went out late in the fall, the 
Committee expects that many States will not submit responses 
by December 15.  END NOTE.).  The members of the panel of 
experts said they aim to provide a draft of the report to the 
Committee by March 1.  The Chairman again asked the experts 
to provide a brief summary of their timeline for completing 
the report in writing. 
 
¶7.  The Committee meets again on December 17 to discuss 
biosecurity and biosafety (ref). 
Khalilzad