VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGV #0132/01 0431539
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 121537Z FEB 10
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0078
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA

UNCLAS GENEVA 000132 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM MNUC CDG PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN TELLS CD, "1864 IS DEAD" 
 
¶1.      (U) Summary.  The early part of the week of February 8 saw 
no progress toward a CD Program of Work as Bangladesh closed out 
its portion of the rotating presidency.  The only issue was whether 
or not the Bangladeshi President would table a nonpaper to initiate 
discussions on a Program of Work before he turned over the gavel. 
The February 11 Plenary and Informal Consultations then provided 
unexpected drama when the UN Director-General blistered the CD for 
its failure to make progress early in the 2010 session, and 
Pakistan was forced to lay its cards on the table as a result of 
multiple interventions.  Saying that the environment had changed 
since adoption of last year's Program of Work, and that the actions 
of unnamed states had destabilized the region, Pakistan stated that 
"1864 is dead."  End summary. 
 
 
 
CD BUSINESS AS USUAL 
 
 
 
¶2.       (U) The week began with a visit to the CD by Italian 
Deputy Foreign Minister Vincenzo Scotti on February 9.  Scotti 
urged the CD to seek immediate ratification of the CTBT that had 
been negotiated in that same body, and to commence negotiations on 
an FMCT as a complement to the current nonproliferation regime, 
adding that the issue of stockpiles should be dealt with in 
negotiations and not serve as a precondition to such negotiations. 
He stressed the importance of adopting a Program of Work (PoW) 
based on CD/1864 and emphasized that further discussion was needed 
on the issue of negative security assurances (NSA). 
 
 
 
¶3.       (U) In that same Plenary, Syrian Ambassador Faysal Khabbaz 
Hamoui encouraged the CD to adopt a PoW that could be based on 
CD/1864, noting that "it needs new elements to improve it" for 
¶2010.  Although Bangladeshi Ambassador Hannan indicated that he 
might table a nonpaper based on CD/1864 as a first step toward 
development of a 2010 PoW, he did not do so on February 9 (nor did 
he later in the week). 
 
 
 
¶4.       (SBU) In the WEOG of February 10, the Turkish Chair led a 
discussion on alternate or parallel means of initiating a PoW and 
beginning discussions on an approach to the FMCT.  France, Austria, 
UK, Hungary, Switzerland, and South Korea said a formal paper must 
be tabled in the CD, stressing that a nonpaper was not a valid 
basis for a PoW.  Germany, UK, and Hungary said that Pakistan 
should be specifically asked why it opposed CD/1864 and to offer 
its own proposals.  Austria, Norway, and Switzerland said that if 
Bangladesh wouldn't do so, that Belarus, the next CD president, 
should be pressured to formally table a paper. 
 
 
 
¶5.      (SBU) Canada shared that Cameroon, the last of the 
scheduled presidents in this year's P6, had asked Canada if it was 
willing to take over Cameroon's presidential duties at the end of 
this year's CD session.  Canada noted that Cameroon passed on its 
previous turn at the presidency as well, and if Canada did in fact 
move up to the 2010 P6, the 2011 P6 would have a distinctly 
non-Western flavor. Sweden asserted that CD Rules of Procedure 
would permit Canada to assist Cameroon with its 2010 presidency 
without having to give up its 2011 presidential seat.  On February 
12, the Director-General persuaded Cameroon to take its turn as 
president. 
 
 
 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL COMES OUT SWINGING, PAKISTAN PROVIDES CLARITY 
 
 
 
¶6.       (U) February 11 saw the last Plenary of the Bangladeshi 
Presidency.  Right up to the beginning of that session, it was not 
clear if Amb. Hannan would table a nonpaper to start discussions on 
a PoW in the formal Plenary or not.  He did not.  Pakistan offered 
effusive thanks to Amb. Hannan for his "courageous" efforts as 
president of the CD.  As Hannan was about to adjourn the formal 
session in preparation for Informal Consultations, UNOG 
Director-General Sergei Ordzhonikidze asked for the floor.  He 
noted his "great disappointment" as the lack of progress so far in 
CD 2010.  While there was a little progress last year in adopting 
CD/1864, he referred to progress this year as a "minus" and said 
the CD had actually "regressed."  With substantial funding from the 
United Nations, he said the CD had done nothing this year, calling 
it "intolerable."  When Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon asked him 
what was happening in the CD, he said he told him "nothing is going 
 
on." 
 
 
 
¶7.       (U)  The Informal Consultations that followed saw a total 
of 28 interventions over a period of more than 2 hours.  While 
saying it was not his preferred option, Amb. Hannan said he was 
holding back tabling a nonpaper on a PoW.  Germany began the 
discussion by applauding the Director-General's remarks and calling 
out Pakistan on its procedural block of CD progress, asking 
specifically what were its concerns.  In response, Pakistan 
Ambassador Akram said that "1864 is dead," invoking Pakistani 
national security interests as an overriding factor.  He also 
criticized the actions and policies of "some states" that had a 
destabilizing effect on the region and had created a changed 
environment from the one that prevailed when CD/1864 was adopted. 
In response, Japan said, "If you say 1864 is dead, then you killed 
it." 
 
 
 
¶8.      (SBU) China then spoke up to urge the CD to continue 
consultations so that the divergent views of its members could be 
considered.  (Note.  Amb. Hannan indicated to us that he had 
refrained from tabling the nonpaper at China's specific request. 
End note.)  The majority of subsequent interventions emphasized 
that there should be no pre-conditions to initiate FMCT 
negotiations, reiterating the Shannon Mandate principle that the 
inclusion of stockpiles is an issue to be addressed in the context 
of FMCT negotiations.  Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Egypt, Spain, 
Netherlands, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, 
Brazil, and the USDEL all expressed support for this approach. 
During their interventions, NAM countries also made a point of 
noting their desire to include stocks in FMCT negotiations.  There 
was some divergence on the need for a paper to proceed with the 
work of the CD.  Spain said there was no point in producing such a 
nonpaper at this point in time.  Germany, the Netherlands, South 
Africa, and Brazil all specifically requested a text to work from. 
Algeria suggested papers from anyone who wanted to submit them. 
 
 
 
¶9.      (U) Pakistan challenged the nuclear states to speak up on 
the issue of stockpiles and the FMCT, saying it was ready to 
negotiate on the other three CD core issues (nuclear disarmament, 
NSA's, outer space).  USDEL, noting that it had observed a 
unilateral moratorium on the production of fissile materials for 
more than 15 years, said that the U.S. signed on to CD/1864 with a 
full understanding of the implications of the Shannon Mandate. 
GRIFFITHS