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159749 6/26/2008 10:56 08ZAGREB476 Embassy Zagreb UNCLASSIFIED VZCZCXRO3701 RR RUEHPOD DE RUEHVB #0476/01 1781056 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 261056Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8428 INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0130 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0229 RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0007 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0779 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0036 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 6416 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0105 RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 0621 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1037 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0287 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0992 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000476

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: HR, NATO, PREL, UNGA SUBJECT: REGIONAL SEMINAR IMPLEMENTING UNSCR 1540 IN EUROPE

1. SUMMARY. The first UNSCR 1540 seminar held in Europe since UNSCR 1810,s adoption in April 2008 took place on June 5-6, 2008, in Rakitje, Croatia. Croatia and Romania hosted the workshop, entitled "United Nations Security Resolution 1540: A Path for Further Implementation," in cooperation with the NATO International Staff and the Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Center (RACVIAC). RACVIAC provides arms control training, promotes confidence building and security measures, and seeks to broaden cooperation in South Eastern Europe. A total of 43 participants from 10 States, several international and regional organizations, and states from outside the region participated in the workshop.

2. The workshop,s focus was on increasing the level of reporting as well as preparing states for implementation, encouraging participating states to increase their commitment to UNSCR 1540,s obligations, and discussing UNSCR 1810,s shift in emphasis from reporting to implementation. Romanian and Croatian participants gave comprehensive briefings on their efforts to enact export control laws consistent with EU standards. As evidenced by their hosting of this seminar, both countries are focused on strengthening security cooperation in the region and used the event to highlight their regional leadership role. END SUMMARY.

Europe,s First Regional Forum
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3. As the first regional forum held in Europe since the April 2008 adoption of UNSCR 1810, the workshop served as a forum for states in the region to focus on the UNSCR 1540 reporting and implementation measures reiterated in UNSCR 1810, which extended the work of the 1540 Committee for three years. The workshop had five sessions: Session I - Building the government structure to coordinate national implementation of UNSCR 1540; Session II - Creating synergy--international tools and recommendations to support UNSCR 1540 implementation; Sessions III and IV - Capacity building--strengthening national legal framework and institutions; Session V - regional ownership and international support for implementation. (NOTE: Tom Wuchte of ISN/CPI, the U.S. 1540 Coordinator, has a copy of the slides from all of the presentations.)

4. In opening remarks speaking on behalf of the UN 1540 Committee, Mr. Toma Galli, First Secretary of Croatia,s UN delegation reminded participants that implementation of Resolution 1540 (2004) is a long-term and continual process beginning with submission of a report; there was a continuing need to exchange experiences on the priority assigned to the issue of weapons of mass destruction; concrete challenges exist with reporting by smaller or less-developed states with respect to the implementation of the resolution; and the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (ODA) remained firmly committed to furthering international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments by working with the 1540 Committee. Speakers from Norway and the United States reinforced these themes and talked about how UNSCR 1810 gave support for national action plans as the best way forward and how regional efforts are vital to strengthen 1540 implementation. Delegations welcomed the U.S. explanation on ways to obtain technical assistance. The participating UN experts were effective in explaining the value of reporting and encouraged states to post their national action plans and matrices on the UN website.

5. During the second session, speakers from international organizations pointed out how adherence and strong implementation of UNSCR 1540 is complementary to and strengthens other global nonproliferation regimes, including the Australia Group, the Missile Technology Control Regime, and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The web of constraints of all of these regimes works in concert to mitigate proliferant behavior. During the capacity building sessions, speakers from Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Turkey gave detailed briefings on their comprehensive and largely successful efforts to pass export control laws and other legislation required to conform with EU model export control legislation. Although the representative from Serbia did not give a presentation, Dragana Mladenovic of the Serbian MFA noted that this workshop had been particularly

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useful as Serbia is beginning early work on taking steps to join all of the nonproliferation regimes. She indicated that what Serbia learned at the workshop would clarify the scope of the effort that will be required, and that they had met the right people from the region who can help them.

6. The following countries sent representatives to the workshop: Australia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, and the U.S. The UN 1540 Committee, the EU, the IAEA, and the NATO International Staff also participated.

7. Possibilities for useful follow-up to this seminar would be for other attending governments to host similar regional workshops in coordination with the 1540 Committee and like-minded states focusing on:

-- Implementation of anti-proliferation financing best practices;

-- Leveraging private sector resources/expertise regarding 1540 and through the increased emphasis in the 1540 Committee via 1810;

-- Determining value-added role of Interpol,s contribution to the effort to combat the biological weapon threat;

-- Case studies in operational 1540 cooperation;

-- How to best garner political support in establishing a NATO Trust Fund, or other regional financial and in-kind contributions, to build national/regional 1540 technical capacity. Bradtke