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FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8807
INFO RUCNMRC/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0004
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 9959

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SAO PAULO 000683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL AORC KPAO PTER UNSC KNNP BR
SUBJECT: UN WORKSHOP ON IMPLEMENTING UNSCR 1540, SAO PAULO, NOVEMBER 
24-28, 2008 
 
REF: WUCHTE-BROOKS E-MAIL OF DECEMBER 19 
 
¶1. (U)Summary:  The UN Workshop on UNSCR 1540 Implementation held in 
Sao Paulo on November 24-28, 2008, was organized by the United 
Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs in cooperation with the 
Government of Brazil with funding by the European Union and the 
Governments of Norway and the United States.  Participants included 
representatives from the MERCORSUR and associated States 
representing 10 countries, as well as from the co-sponsors including 
the European Union, France, and the United States.  In addition, IGO 
and regional organizations such as the Organization of American 
States (OAS) and various UN offices were in attendance.  The 
workshop sessions allowed the delegates the opportunity to discuss 
regional efforts towards full implementation of UNSCR 1540, with the 
end results indicating a renewed interest by the MERCOSUR countries 
in working with the UN 1540 Committee.  See para 11 for likely next 
steps.  End Summary. 
 
Objectives for the UN 1540 Workshop 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The overall objective of the workshop was to enhance the 
understanding of national, regional, and international efforts to 
prevent the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery; 
achieve greater clarity of current implementation and enforcement 
measures and increase steps taken or planned to be taken towards 
full implementation of Resolution 1540 (2004); enhance risk 
assessment, detection, and examination techniques; improve 
interaction and information sharing among national export controls 
and legal authorities; discuss the role of regional organizations 
and the role they can play in assisting members to achieve full 1540 
implementation; review UN 1540 Committee assistance request form; 
discuss partnership for technical assistance programs; combine 
country needs with a voluntary financial contributions to enhance 
technical assistance efforts; and define each participant's role in 
the formulation of a road map and action plan for the implementation 
of UN Resolution 1540. 
 
Highlights and Observations 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (U) Participants:  This UN Workshop was primarily intended for 
the MERCORSUR members and associated States to include:  Argentina, 
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, 
and Venezuela to discuss UN Resolution 1540 reporting status and to 
get familiar with programs and activities to facilitate the 
implementations of UN Resolution 1540 requirements.  The workshop 
provided a forum for members to discuss problems and lessons 
learned, and propose potential avenues to comply with the UN 
Resolution 1540's provisions.  In addition, the workshop allowed 
participants to discuss the formulation and status of national 
action plans as well as the assistance regional and 
inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) could provide.  Many 
countries noted that although they were fully in support of meeting 
1540 obligations, the breadth of functional areas to address could 
be overwhelming.  The majority of the participants reported that 
without a key central point of contact or coordinator, understanding 
all national programs related to 1540 implementation would be close 
to impossible. 
 
¶4. (U) Workshop Program:  The workshop was organized into five 
working sessions: 
 
-- Working Session I started with a welcoming remarks and 
introductory statements, followed by three presentations led by a 
moderator. 
-- Working Session II was a combination of 1540 experts' 
presentations with participating countries presentations. -- Working 
Session III included presentations from contributing participants, 
participating countries, and 1540 experts. 
-- Working Session IV was a full-day visit to the Brazilian port 
facility at Santos to observe how Brazilian Customs conducts its 
daily security operations in the implementation of UN Resolution 
1540's requirements. 
-- And Working Session V included two presentations and discussions 
to explore possible cooperative steps - including an interactive 
exchange between states on measures underway to implement UNSCR 
¶1540. 
 
¶5. (U) Opening:  The Workshop was opened by Mr. Carlos Sergio 
Duarte, Head of the Department of International Organizations in 
Brazil's Ministry of External Relations and UN High Representative 
for Disarmament Affairs who affirmed Brazil's support for UN 
Resolution 1540 and underlined the importance of regional and 
sub-regional coordination in achieving international security. 
Following Mr. Duarte's remarks, Mrs. Marcela Calderon, Minister 
 
SAO PAULO 00000683  002 OF 004 
 
 
Counselor from the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the UN and 
representative of the Chairman of the 1540 Committee, discussed the 
Committee's efforts to encourage and support states as they 
implement UN Resolution 1540.  After Mrs. Calderon's remarks, 
Workshop sponsors--the EU and the U.S.--delivered statements.  Mr. 
Fabio Della Piazza, representing the Council of the European Union 
and Mr. Dietmar Petrausch, First Secretary from the French Embassy 
in Brazil and representing the Presidency of the Council of the 
European Union, outlined the EU's nonproliferation strategy and its 
emphasis on cooperation and assistance.  U.S. Consul General in Sao 
Paulo, Mr. Thomas White, praised international efforts supporting 
Resolution 1540 and highlighted U.S. government outreach, training, 
and capacity building programs which contribute to Resolution 1540 
implementation worldwide. 
 
¶6. (U) Working Session I:  The first session of the workshop 
addressed regional efforts to prevent WMD proliferation and UN 
Security Council Resolutions 1540, 1373, and 1267.  Mr. Pericles 
Gasparini, Director of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, 
Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean 
(UN-LiREC), discussed the role the Regional Centre in Lima, Peru has 
played in supporting Resolution 1540 awareness and implementation 
and highlighted the fact that compliance with Resolution 1540 
carries not only security benefits, but can also support and 
reinforce development goals by securing trade routes and increasing 
trading partners' willingness to share sophisticated technologies. 
Experts from the UN Resolution 1540 Committee reviewed 
implementation by MERCOSUR member and associate states and 
emphasized the benefits of regional cooperation through political 
organizations like the OAS and CARICOM, as well as trading 
communities like MERCOSUR.  UN Counter-Terrorism Executive 
Directorate (CTED) representative, Mr. Chen Weixion, and Mr. Victor 
Shtoyunda, of the UN Resolution 1267 Committee, discussed the 
interrelationship among Resolutions 1540, 1373 (Counter-Terrorism), 
and 1267 (Sanctions against listed entities and entities with 
relationship with Al-Qaida and the Taliban). 
 
¶7. (U) Working Session II:  Day two of the workshop addressed 
preventative monitoring of cross-border trade; national mechanisms 
to monitor exports, re-exports, transit, and transshipments; risk 
assessment techniques; and approaches to capacity building. 
Resolution 1540 Committee Expert, Ms. Isabella Interlandi, led the 
discussion of preventative monitoring of cross-border trade.  She 
stressed the need for customs and other agencies charged with 
monitoring trade to cooperate not only with industry, but with 
foreign customs and border security services as well.  She advocated 
the harmonization of strategic trade controls across regions as a 
way to enhance and facilitate enforcement efforts.  The recent 
efforts of MERCOSUR states to correlate strategic trade controls 
with the MERCOSUR harmonized tariff system was viewed as an example 
and potential model for other trading communities to follow.  The 
next segment of the workshop program gave countries an opportunity 
to offer presentations on their respective strategic trade control 
systems.  While some national systems were more comprehensive than 
others, all states voiced unqualified support for Resolution 1540 
and appeared to share a unified view that strategic trade controls 
were of vital importance.  Following the national presentations, 
Resolution 1540 Committee Experts and the Colombian delegation 
offered presentations on risk assessment techniques and methods.  To 
conclude the session, representatives from the IAEA, OPCW, BWC 
Implementation Support Unit, and Interpol discussed their respective 
organizations' capacity building efforts and programs.  Interpol 
representative, Ms. Ivanka Spadina's observation that would-be 
proliferators are constantly probing weaknesses in the international 
trade security framework and performing many more risk assessments 
than are governments and organizations charged with frustrating 
their efforts, resonated with workshop participants and underscored 
the urgency of Resolution 1540 implementation efforts. 
 
¶8. (U) Working Session III:  Day three opened with a discussion of 
examination techniques and technical detection capabilities.  The 
Paraguayan Customs representative was particularly candid about the 
border security challenges his organization faces, while resolutely 
expressing his nation's strong dedication to improved border 
controls and trade security.  The next discussion centered on 
cooperation with industry, during which the Brazilian delegation 
highlighted its PRONABENS industry outreach program which is 
designed to foster public-private sector collaboration on sensitive 
goods and technologies.  The closing session continued the 
capacity-building discussion from the previous day with 
presentations from the OAS Inter-American Committee Against 
Terrorism (CICTE), The Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and 
Control of Nuclear Material (ABACC), the EU, and the U.S.  CICTE 
representative, Mr. Sheridan Hill, recalled OAS Resolutions 
supportive of Resolution 1540 and the OAS 1540 Workshop conducted in 
Buenos Aires in May 2008. He also pointed out that CICTE's upcoming 
 
SAO PAULO 00000683  003 OF 004 
 
 
annual meeting in Mexico City (March 2009) will have "Strengthening 
Hemispheric Security and Border Controls" as its theme.  EU Council 
representative, Mr. Fabio Della Piazza, outlined the EU's Strategy 
Against the Proliferation of WMD and how its capacity building 
programs support it.  The Council's efforts, through Joint Actions, 
are primarily focused on events such as this one that are designed 
to foster political commitments related to Resolution 1540.  The 
Commission, through the Stability Instrument, offers technical 
training, primarily through the German Federal Office of Economics 
and Export Control (BAFA).  To close the session on capacity 
building, Mr. Nils Johanson from the U.S. Department of State's 
Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program and Mr. 
Scott Sweetser, representing the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's 
(DTRA) International Counterproliferation Program (ICP), offered 
presentations on U.S. capacity building programs.  Mr. Johanson 
stressed the importance of submitting assistance requests to the 
Resolution 1540 Committee and underscored the United States' 
commitment to respond through EXBS or other programs.  Mr. Sweetser 
provided a demonstration of some of the enforcement and personnel 
protection equipment provided through U.S. capacity building 
programs. 
 
¶9. (U) Working Session IV:  Around 0900, all participants gathered 
at the Hotel lobby in preparation for the trip to the Port of 
Santos.  We arrived at the Port of Santos before noon and were 
hosted by the facility's Deputy Director.  Throughout the day, the 
group received briefings and information on the overall daily 
operations, visited terminal facilities and scanning equipment.  The 
Port of Santos is the largest port in Latin America; it has 14 km 
long with 54 berths.  It contributes to 25% of Brazil's trade 
balance and it has an expansion plan to double its number of berths. 
 The Port complies with the International Ship and Port Facility 
Code and it has handled over 1,287M containers in 2007.  One of the 
facility's top interdiction tools is the Container Security 
Initiative, or the CSI program. This program was a joint initiative 
between Brazil and the United States to improve Brazilian Customs 
ability to detect sensitive cargo in containers.  The program allows 
authorities, based on advanced information, to establish security 
criteria for identifying containers that may pose a terrorist 
threat.  The CSI allows screening containers at the earliest 
possible point.  Currently, there is four container's scanning 
equipment in operation.  This allows the submission of 100% of empty 
containers to identify clandestine content and target false 
compartments inside the container.  The monthly average of scanning 
containers is of 13,000. However, this number can be greater 
depending on the results of risk assessment. 
In addition to the CSI program implementation, the Brazilian Customs 
has improved its scanning areas by acquiring six new scanners with 
high-penetration capabilities, radiation detectors incorporated in 
scanners, application of spectrometers and portable radiation 
detectors.  Notwithstanding, the Port of Santos is projected to 
become the training Customs facility in the implementation of the 
Brazilian National Training Program for the identification of 
sensitive commodities used in the development of WMD.  Training 
courses are scheduled to begin in March 2009 and could be extended 
to other neighboring countries.  Last, the Port of Santos is fully 
committed to implement training activities, procedures, and 
regulation to enhance detection capabilities to fulfill the 
provisions of UN Resolution 1540.  However, there are challenges to 
be addressed such as the need to develop a new mindset related to 
WMD commodities within law enforcement agencies.  And the immediate 
need to improve efforts to promote interagency cooperation. 
 
¶10. (U) Working Session V:  The moderator announced the final 
session of the workshop and the plans for the day.  He pointed out 
the importance of the formulation of 1540 roadmaps as the means to 
harmonize controls and minimize vulnerabilities.  He also announced 
bilateral talks with each country throughout the day to discuss 
requirements and assistance provisions.  He divided participants 
into two groups: Group A included Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, 
Paraguay, and Uruguay.  Group B include Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, 
Peru, and Venezuela.  The session followed with presentations 
regarding Approaches to Capacity-Building and Technical Assistance 
Template. The Director of the United Nations Office for Disarmament 
Affairs briefed on regional networks and the opportunities for the 
implementation of the UN Resolution 1540.   He explained the concept 
of networking as the cooperation between institutions, government 
organizations, and NGOs to increase information sharing with 
focusing on the development of specific studies.   He added that 
networking can facilitate the dialog between organizations and 
people, establish cooperation, strengthen activities and strategic 
development, promote information exchange, and save resources.  He 
concluded by stating that the implementation of UN Resolution 1540 
can benefit from networking if nations interact and centralize 
information on specific cooperation efforts.  Next, a panel member 
explained to the group how to fill up the template to request 
 
SAO PAULO 00000683  004 OF 004 
 
 
assistance for the implementation of the UN Resolution 1540's 
provisions.  She explained how the UN Resolution 1810 promotes the 
regional implementation of the UN Resolution 1540.  She pointed out 
several efforts and considerations from 2005 to present date to 
divulge the implementation of UN Resolution 1540.  She specific 
mentioned paragraph 3 of the resolution where all states must adopt 
and enforce effective measures to implement national controls to 
prevent the proliferation of WMD.  She stated that such measures are 
required to account for the implementation and maintenance of the UN 
Resolution 1540.  She also presented a case study showing what a 
country can do to initiate the process for the implementation of the 
resolution.  She concluded by stating the national objectives of UN 
Resolution 1540 for the countries in the region. 
 
Conclusion 
---------- 
 
¶11. (U) In concluding, each of the UN panelists emphasized various 
aspects of the challenges states face when implementing UN 
Resolution 1540 and follow-on Resolution 1810.  They thanked the 
delegates for the open and frank discussions and noted that both UN 
resolution 1540 and 1810 provide many mid-term objectives.  They 
encouraged all participants to finish national action plans and work 
with and through the UN 1540 Committee Experts.  In addition, a 
follow-up two-day meeting was proposed to verify the status of the 
road maps or action plans in support of the implementation of UN 
Resolution 1540.  Summary highlights included: 
      --MERCORSUR members and its associated states have shown 
interest in submitting their 1540 reports to the Committee; 
      --The 1540 Committee specifically seeks to cooperate with 
MERCOSUR members and associated states, in its outreach efforts 
going forward; 
      --Participants can demonstrate cooperation by sharing 
documents or lessons learned from this workshop with the 1540 
Committee; 
      --Each national action plan should be tailored to national 
capacity and priorities; 
      --MERCORSUR members and its associated states members should 
capitalize on implementation plans as a useful way to communicate 
with the Committee, its experts, and for the interagency process 
states are likely to have initiated in response to 1540; 
      --Brazil and Argentina have offered assistance to synchronize 
action plans efforts as well as synchronize planning coordination; 
      --A follow-up meeting will be scheduled to verify progress in 
the development and implementation of road maps or action plans. 
 
¶12. (U) This cable was cleared with the U.S. 1540 Coordinator, 
Thomas Wuchte, 202-736-4275 who can be reached at WuchteTA@state.gov 
for further information and background. 
 
WHITE