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UNCLAS STATE 018175 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DHS FOR OIA (DPALMERI AND MMOONEY) 
TSA FOR OGS (DMCQUAID) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC EAIR IN PGOV PK PTER XB
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: ASIA-PACIFIC AVIATION SECURITY 
MINISTERIAL 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified. 
Handle accordingly. 
 
¶1. (U) This message contains an action 
request.  See paragraph 3. It has been sent in 
collaboration with the Department of Homeland 
Security. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
Secretary Janet Napolitano will travel to Tokyo 
March 12-14, 2010 to attend a conference on 
aviation security.  Japan is hosting the conference 
and has invited ministers with aviation or 
transport security-related responsibilities from 
Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, People,s 
Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macao, India, 
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, 
Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, 
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United 
States. The ministerial level meeting will take 
place on March 13. (Note:  the countries were 
chosen by Japan, in coordination with DHS and the 
Department, based on a list of major aviation hubs 
in the hemisphere and participation in regional 
Directors General of Civil Aviation annual 
meetings.  In accordance with Japan,s direct 
request, we are asking action addressees to engage 
with host governments at the following posts, given 
their importance to regional aviation security: 
Bangkok, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, 
New Delhi, Seoul, Singapore, and Wellington. Japan 
has also invited ICAO and the Secretary General of 
ICAO will attend.  This conference provides an 
opportunity to reiterate that the international 
community shares responsibility for global aviation 
security and to identify specific areas on which 
countries can focus their efforts to strengthen 
global aviation security.  End Summary. 
 
Action Request 
-------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Drawing on talking points provided in 
paragraph 10 and the background information below, 
action addressee posts should engage host 
governments at the  highest appropriate level to 
express strong USG support for the GOJ's planned 
conference and to persuade the host government to 
facilitate the personal participation of the 
transportation minister.  If the minister is unable 
to attend in person, post should encourage the 
government to send as high-level a substitute as it 
is able.  Posts should underscore the personal 
participation of Secretary Napolitano, while 
avoiding the impression that the conference is a 
solely USG-driven or prompted event. Info addressee 
posts are also encouraged to ascertain their host 
government's participation and at what level it 
will be represented.  This information should be 
conveyed by e-mail to Matthew Mooney, DHS Office of 
International Affairs, at Matthew.Mooney@HG.DHS.GOV; 
Brian Siler, Office of Transportation Policy in 
State's Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business 
Affairs, at silerbj@state.gov; and Susan Unruh, at 
State,s EAP Bureau-Japan Desk, at unruhsl@state.gov; 
Daniel A. McQuaid, Asia-Pacific Area Director, 
Office of Global Strategies, Transportation Security 
Administration, as daniel.mcquaid@dhs.gov. Post can 
direct questions about the ministerial to Matthew 
Mooney ( 1 202 282-8217).  Questions from host 
country press should be referred to Matt Chandler 
( 1 202 282-8010 Matthew.Chandler@HQ.DHS.GOV) in 
the DHS Office of Public Affairs. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Following the attempted December 25, 
2009 bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253, 
President Obama directed DHS to "strengthen 
international partnerships and coordination on 
aviation security issues." (In the President,s 
January 7, 2010, Memorandum to Department Heads). 
Secretary Napolitano dispatched Deputy Secretary 
Jane Holl Lute January 3-14, 2010 to the 
Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Israel, 
the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, 
Nigeria, and Brazil, as well as a January 28, 2010 
trip to Canada.  At the Spanish government,s 
invitation, Secretary Napolitano discussed aviation 
security with European counterparts at a meeting of 
European Union (EU) Justice and Home Affairs 
ministers in Toledo, Spain on January 21, 2010.  At 
that time, Secretary Napolitano and her European 
Counterparts released a joint U.S.-EU Declaration 
on aviation security that captured a growing 
international consensus (The text is available at 
http://www.dhs.gov/ 
ynews/releases/pr 1264119013710.shtm). 
 
¶5. (SBU) The U.S.-EU Declaration captured four key 
areas of focus for this international effort to 
strengthen aviation security:  1) information 
collection and identity management, 2) information 
sharing and collaboration in passenger vetting, 3) 
technology modernization, and 4) improved 
international standards, including the coordination 
of international training and technical assistance 
to help all countries achieve those new standards. 
 
¶6. (SBU) On February 17, 2010, Secretary Napolitano 
joined representatives from North, Central, and 
South America, as well as the Caribbean, in Mexico 
City for a second international aviation security 
Ministerial. Building on the four key focal areas 
of the U.S.-EU Declaration, ministers who attended 
the conference agreed to a Joint Declaration on 
Civil Aviation Security which recognized that the 
air transportation system and aviation security 
constitute global goods and are shared 
responsibilities of the international community. 
Through the Declaration, participants agreed to 
support ICAO efforts to strengthen domestic and 
international civil aviation security standards, 
including Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention; 
explore means of improving information collection 
and exchange, including more effectively supporting 
screening by transmitting passengers, information 
in a timely manner prior to takeoff; promote 
national and international research on detection of 
prohibited items and identification of dangerous 
individuals; and enhance regional and international 
cooperation to support capacity building, improve 
aviation security measures, methods, and security 
frameworks.  (The text is available at 
http://www.dhs.gov/ 
xabout/international/gc 1266421175567.shtm). 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) The conference in Japan, along with 
upcoming similar ministerial meetings planned for 
the Middle East and Africa, seeks to build on the 
previous international engagements, and will set 
the stage for a global ministerial meeting on 
aviation security later in 2010 and/or the ICAO 
Assembly which is scheduled for fall 2010. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Potential deliverables from the March 13, 
2010 aviation security meeting in Tokyo include: 
commitment to enhance standards in ICAO,s Annex 17 
and Annex 9; commitment to the ICAO Donors 
Conference and to coordinate training and technical 
assistance efforts; sharing best practices on 
screening and detection; and agreement to enhance 
communication on aviation security and threats. 
DHS will also seek bilateral deliverables related 
to each of the four focus areas outlined above. 
 
¶9. (SBU) DHS will work with those countries 
attending the Ministerial to coordinate outreach to 
those countries in the region not attending.  DHS 
is open to exploring other venues for consultation 
in the region, such as the Asia Pacific Economic 
Cooperation forum (APEC). 
 
 
Talking Points 
-------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Talking Points. 
 
The Aviation Security Ministerial Japan is hosting 
provides an opportunity to strengthen aviation 
security in Asia/Pacific and around the world.  In 
particular, we hope that the conference will 
identify specific areas for enhanced cooperation 
and that the participants will publicly affirm the 
importance of securing the global aviation system 
and the role and responsibility every country has in 
this effort.  On behalf of Secretary Napolitano, and 
in conjunction with the Government of Japan, I would 
like to request Minister (insert) to attend the 
Ministerial in Tokyo, in recognition of the critical 
role (country) plays in regional aviation security. 
 
Secretary Napolitano looks forward to meeting with 
Minister (insert) in Tokyo and together to help 
strengthen global aviation security.  She looks 
forward to hearing the views and priorities of her 
counterparts from the region.  U.S. priorities 
include commitment to enhance standards in ICAO,s 
Annex 17 and Annex 9; commitment to the ICAO Donors 
Conference and to coordinate training and technical 
assistance efforts; sharing best practices on 
screening and detection; and agreement to enhance 
communication on aviation security and threats. 
 
As host of the conference, the Government of Japan 
selected the location, date, and participants. 
Strengthening global aviation security requires 
broad international cooperation, however, and a 
sustained effort on the part of every country.  The 
United States will continue to work with partners 
across Asia/Pacific both bilaterally and through 
multilateral fora, including the International Civil 
Aviation Organization, International Air Transport 
Association, and APEC. 
CLINTON