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DE RUEHC #2941 3242035
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 192028Z NOV 08
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TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 122941 
 
SIPDIS 
USUN FOR GERMAIN AND RENEAU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PARM UNSC CS
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: REMARKS FOR DISARMAMENT THEMATIC 
DEBATE, NOVEMBER 19 
 
¶1.  USUN is authorized to use para. 2 remarks 
in the Costa Rica-sponsored thematic debate 
on the regulation and reduction of armaments, 
November 19, 2008. 
 
¶2.  Begin text: 
 
Mr. President, 
 
I would like to thank the Costa Rican delegation for 
bringing us together for a discussion of this important 
subject.  Costa Rica's dedication to fostering peace 
through the promotion of disarmament is well known, as is 
the personal commitment of President Arias.  We are 
honored by his presence. 
 
The United States recognizes the UN's role in promoting 
the maintenance of international peace and security and 
the responsibilities of all UN Member States in that 
regard.  To that end, the United States has long taken a 
leading role in promoting arms reduction and fighting 
proliferation, particularly of weapons of mass 
destruction. 
 
The United States recognizes that multilateral engagement 
is an important tool in curbing armaments and in blocking 
weapons proliferators.  Treaties, such as the NPT, can 
play a role, but so can voluntary associations. 
 
In 2003, the United States launched the Proliferation 
Security Initiative (PSI), a dynamic, active approach to 
the global proliferation problem.  Today, over 90 
participating member states work voluntarily and in 
concert, employing their national capabilities to develop 
a broad range of legal, diplomatic, economic, military, 
and other tools to interdict threatening shipments of 
weapons of mass destruction and missile-related equipment 
and technologies. 
 
The United States also participates alongside 39 other 
states in the Wassenaar Arrangement, a voluntary export 
control regime that governs both conventional weapons and 
dual use items.  We hope that additional states would join 
the United States in participating in PSI and in adopting 
the Wassenaar Arrangement's export control list. 
 
The United States has also taken a leading role in 
reducing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons 
through its assistance programs such as destruction, 
stockpile security, and marking of weapons. 
 
Of course, action within the United Nations is also 
important.  The U.S., for its part, has introduced a 
resolution in the current session of the General Assembly 
that reaffirms member states' commitment to full 
compliance with arms control agreements and commitments. 
The UN has also developed a Program of Action on the 
illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and produced 
a consensus report, including recommendations of experts, 
on verification in all its aspects. 
 
More specifically, the Security Council has a role to play 
as well.  Security Council Resolution 1540 is an 
unprecedented initiative and a good example of the type of 
contribution the UN can make to promoting international 
cooperation in the area of nonproliferation. 
 
While the scope of the resolution includes terrorist 
activities, it was designed to address the full-range of 
proliferation activity, including non-state actors that 
provide proliferation-related services.  The resolution 
also places requirements on UN Member States to take 
specific measures to criminalize activities that can 
contribute to or support proliferation activities. The 
Security Council Committee established pursuant to 
resolution 1540 has an important role to play in promoting 
implementation of the resolution. 
 
In addition, the resolution advances the economic 
interests of nations seeking to be key global economic 
suppliers of goods and services.  The United States and 
several other states have extensive programs that can help 
member 
nations implement Resolution 1540, and we stand ready to 
do more. 
 
We believe the Council can play a role in bolstering these 
and other efforts, not least by calling on States to live 
up to their obligations under Council decisions. 
 
Reduction of armaments remains an important goal for many 
UN member states and can, in the right circumstances, 
maintain and even increase security in many areas of the 
world. 
 
END TEXT 
RICE