VZCZCXRO7456
PP RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR
DE RUEHVEN #0084/01 0920842
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 020842Z APR 09
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6315
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0726
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1281
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHDLCNE/CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEASWA/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC
RUESDT/DTRA-OSES DARMSTADT GE
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1221

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000084 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC, 
SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA, ISN/CPI 
JCS FOR J-5 
OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI) 
NSC FOR HAYES 
USUN FOR LEGAL, POL 
EUCOM FOR J-5 
CENTCOM FOR J-5 
UNVIE FOR AC 
GENEVA FOR CD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE RS XG
SUBJECT: FSC APRIL 1: CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MILITARIES 
QUESTIONNAIRE DECISION AFTER TWO YEARS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The French chairmanship of the FSC ended 
with the adoption of the decision to update the Code of 
Conduct questionnaire to reflect new threats and missions for 
armed forces, after almost two years of negotiation, although 
three interpretive statements then followed.  Denmark and 
Sweden led several nations in lamenting the failure to 
include specific reference to UNSCR 1325 on the role of 
gender in security affairs; Germany encouraged states to 
include information on their efforts to assure the democratic 
control of private military companies; and Russia reminded 
delegations that it views the provision of responses to a 
question on anti-terrorism measures, as well as their "form, 
content, and structure," as entirely at the discretion of 
participating States. 
 
¶2. (SBU) An OSCE adviser on gender issues reported on the 
March 11 roundtable on involving women in security and peace 
reconstruction.  France finished its chairmanship with wide 
praise from delegations and promised to support Georgia, the 
next FSC chair.  End summary. 
 
Code Questionnaire Update 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Forum adopted the decision on a technical update 
to the Code of Conduct questionnaire (FSC.DD/14/08/Rev.3). 
The update had been negotiated for almost two years and is 
meant to reflect new threats and missions for the armed 
forces.  The questionnaire is part of the FSC's series of 
annual information exchanges among participating States (pS). 
 The Code, adopted by the FSC in 1994, is a collection of 
principles for the organization, control, and employment of 
armed forces by pS. 
 
Interpretive Statement on UNSCR 1325 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) Denmark (Petersen) made an interpretive statement on 
the Code questionnaire decision that regretted the lack of a 
specific reference in the questionnaire to UNSCR 1325 on the 
role of gender in security issues.  Denmark--and Sweden, 
Finland, Norway, Iceland, the UK, Slovakia, the Netherlands, 
Portugal, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Germany , Switzerland, 
Canada, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania--promised to expand 
the scope of the replies to the questionnaire to include 
information on women, peace, and security. 
 
And Another on Private Military Companies 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Germany (Horsten) also made an interpretive 
statement, regretting the lack of questions dealing with 
private military or security companies (PMC).  Horsten said 
the role of PMC has been steadily growing and states need to 
insure that they are subject to democratic control and 
operate in accordance with constitutional authorities. 
Horsten urged states to include information on controls on 
PMC in their questionnaire submissions.  Austria, the UK, 
Luxembourg, and Switzerland joined in the German statement. 
 
And One on Answering the Question 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
USOSCE 00000084  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Russia (Ulyanov) made an interpretive statement, 
reminding states of its position that replies to question 
I.1.4, on measures taken to prevent and combat terrorism, 
will be "voluntary rather than compulsory" and that the form, 
structure, and content of the replies are entirely at the 
discretion of participating States.  (Note: Russia had 
consistently supported language in this question that would 
dilute any "requirement" to provide information on 
anti-terrorism measures beyond that already provided in 
response to questions I.1.1, I.1.2, and I.1.3, which appeared 
in the 2003 version of the questionnaire.  End note.) 
 
VD99 "Contacts" Best Practices Guide 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) The UK (Gare) invited comments and suggestions on 
the UK-Russian draft Best Practices Guide on implementation 
of Vienna Document 1999 Chapter IV, "Contacts."  Gare hoped 
the guide would eventually be endorsed by the FSC. 
 
UN Standard Instrument 
---------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Conflict Prevention Center (Geertsen) announced 
that the OSCE will participate in a brainstorming seminar in 
Berlin March 4-5 to review the reporting mechanism for the UN 
Standard Instrument on military expenditures, per UN General 
Assembly resolution 62/13.  Geertsen invited delegations to 
submit suggestions and offered that the OSCE representative 
could discuss the OSCE annual information exchange on defense 
planning and budgets.  Germany, hosting the seminar, welcomed 
OSCE participation. 
 
Gender and Security 
------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Ms Jamila Seftaoui, the OSCE senior adviser on 
gender issues, reported in the Security Dialogue on the March 
11 roundtable in Vienna on gender and security: "Involving 
Women: a Key Issue in Security and Peace Reconstruction." 
Seftaoui highlighted the presentations of U.S. Ambassador 
(retired) Donald Steinberg, who noted the adverse impact of 
the failure to include women in the peace settlement process 
ending the Angolan civil war, and of Dr. Margaret Ward, who 
described the positive contribution of women to the Northern 
Ireland peace process.  Seftaoui asserted a continuing lack 
of gender consideration at the OSCE, particularly in 
first-dimension activities such as mine action.   She 
recommended all OSCE projects include a "gender impact 
analysis" and close cooperation between Vienna and field 
mission staffs on gender issues.  Further information on the 
roundtable is available at the OSCE public website 
(www.osce.org/gender). 
 
Russian Diplomat Remembered 
--------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Russia (Geyvandov) asked for a moment of silence in 
memory of Ambassador Vladimir I. Shustov, long-serving head 
of the Russian arms control delegation at the OSCE. 
Geyvandov recalled Shustov's knowledge of history, 
literature, and culture and his unique sense of humor. 
Shustov died March 24. 
 
USOSCE 00000084  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
French Valedictory 
------------------ 
 
¶11. (SBU) French Ambassador Eric Lebedel, at the close of 
France's chairmanship of the FSC, noted his "regret, 
satisfaction, and hope."  Lebedel regretted that his 
chairmanship included only eight plenary meetings, the fewest 
of the year's three sessions.  Yet he reported satisfaction 
that few issues escaped the attention of the Forum during 
this session, which included work on European security, UNSCR 
1540, SALW, cyber security, and the Code of Conduct.  Lebedel 
praised the FSC Troika, including Finland and Georgia, for 
its cooperation, as well as the CiO, Greece.  He was hopeful 
that Georgia, the next chair, and the UK, chair for the 2009 
autumn session, could maintain the prominence of FSC issues. 
He promised that Georgia could rely on France for help. 
 
Russia's Lament 
--------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Several states praised France for its chairmanship 
and accomplishments in organizing meetings on cyber security, 
SALW, and the European security architecture and for 
reinvigorating the Security Dialogue.  Russia (Ulyanov) also 
commended France, although while complaining that the core 
elements of the FSC as provided by the 1992 Helsinki 
conference--arms control, CSBMs, regular consultation on 
security, reduction of the threat of future conflicts--had 
"been consigned to oblivion."  Still, Ulyanov said, Russia 
would try to further the active pursuit of these issues 
through, as France had done, dialogue and a free exchange of 
ideas in the security arena.  Ulyanov closed by wishing 
Georgia good luck. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Georgia, represented by newly appointed ambassador 
and former DCM, Paata Gaprindashvili, promised its 
chairmanship would be based on the cooperation and dialogue 
inherent in the Forum. 
 
Next Meeting 
------------ 
 
¶14. (SBU) The next meeting, and first of the spring-summer 
session, will be on April 29 under Georgian chairmanship. 
SCOTT