VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUNV #0115/01 0791106
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201106Z MAR 09
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9171
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1548
RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0275

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000115 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT IAEA AORC KTBT MNUC PTER PARM
SUBJECT:  UNVIE Reorganizes to Support Administration's Renewed 
Focus on the Test Ban Treaty and Nuclear Terrorism 
 
Ref:  A. UNVIE 106 (2006) 
      ¶B. UNVIE 915 (2006) 
 
¶1. Summary:  UNVIE has realigned Mission responsibilities to reflect 
the priorities of the new Administration.  Specifically, the old 
Nuclear Terrorism and Export Control Section is now the Arms Control 
Section with a primary focus on bringing into force an effective 
CTBT.  Responsibility for nuclear terrorism has shifted to the IAEA 
Section, reflecting the arrival of a new employee from NNSA and the 
Administration's desire to "mainstream" the IAEA's role in this 
area.  Finally, this cable records an earlier decision to establish 
a separate Policy Research and Advisory Staff to support longer-term 
strategy development and analysis.  These realignments do not impact 
UNVIE resource requirements in terms of either funding or personnel. 
 End Summary. 
 
Supporting an Effective CTBT 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. In February 2006 (Ref A), UNVIE realigned responsibilities to 
better meet Mission priorities and rebalance workloads among Mission 
sections.  The former Arms Control Section was renamed the Nuclear 
Terrorism and Export Control (NTEC) Section and designated as the 
Mission coordinator for issues dealing with nuclear terrorism and 
illicit trafficking.  Mission's goal was to identify and leverage 
the multiple special roles of the IAEA, UNODC, and other 
Vienna-based institutions to support global efforts against nuclear 
terrorism.  Indeed, Mission made important progress in better 
integrating the work of Vienna-based organizations and supporting 
USG efforts to implement the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear 
Terrorism and UN Security Council Resolution 1540. 
 
¶3. The most significant change for UNVIE with the arrival of the new 
Administration is its support for entry-into-force of the 
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).  In order to support 
more intensive engagement on the CTBT with the Provisional 
Secretariat and other Missions, UNVIE has restored NTEC to its 
previous designation as the Arms Control Section, with a primary 
focus on implementing an effective CTBT.  The Section will also 
retain responsibility for overseeing the Wassenaar Arrangement and 
assisting Washington with the Hague Code of Conduct.   In the short 
term, the Arms Control Section will also retain responsibility for 
1540 implementation and other cross-cutting terrorism issues. 
 
Mainstreaming Nuclear Terrorism 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4. Primary responsibility for nuclear terrorism issues, including 
nuclear security and illicit trafficking, will return to the IAEA 
Section, taking advantage of the arrival of a new staff member from 
DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).  This shift 
in responsibility facilitates our relationship with the IAEA, which 
is the focus of most UNVIE work on nuclear terrorism.  It also 
reflects the new Administration's desire to make nuclear security a 
mainstream activity of the IAEA.   The IAEA Section will be 
responsible for working with the IAEA to strengthen nuclear 
security, combat illicit nuclear trafficking, and support the Global 
Threat Reduction Initiative and the Global Initiative to Combat 
Nuclear Terrorism.  It will also be the UNVIE point of liaison for 
the new DOE-detailee position at the World Institute for Nuclear 
Security, which was recently established in Vienna with USG 
support. 
 
¶5. Other sections will still play important supporting roles, with 
the Arms Control Section playing a continuing role on 1540 
implementation and the UN Affairs Section working with UNODC's 
Terrorism Prevention Branch to help countries drafting legislation 
on nuclear terrorism.  USOSCE also has important activities in this 
area.  Given the cross-cutting nature of this challenge, DCM will 
chair a mission-wide working group to ensure close coordination of 
Vienna-based nuclear terrorism issues. 
 
Other Realignments and Resource Requirements 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. Ref B announced the establishment of a separate Public Diplomacy 
element in December 2006.  As part of our Mission Strategic Plan, we 
have requested the addition of a third position (a Professional 
Associate) to sustain our high level of global public diplomacy and 
augment it with an international visitors program and other outreach 
tools.  We were pleased in this context to see that a Vienna Public 
Diplomacy position was included in the latest web site listing of 
Professional Associate offerings. 
 
¶7. In September 2007, Mission established a small Policy Research 
and Advisory (PRA) staff.  This staff is attached to the UNVIE Front 
Office and supports the Ambassador and DCM in formulating strategy 
and obtaining analytic support for policy initiatives. 
 
¶8. With the exception of the request for an additional Public 
 
Diplomacy position (which is centrally funded), the realignments 
described above do not require additional resources in terms of 
funding or personnel. 
 
SCHULTE