US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1523

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001523 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO FOR AC, AC/CB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2014 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, CW 
SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): AUSTRALIAN 
CONCURRENCE ON WWII-ERA CHEMICAL MUNITIONS IN SOLOMON 
ISLANDS 
 
REF: STATE 132711 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Eric M. Javits, Permanent Representative to t 
he OPCW.  Reasons: 1.4 (B and D) 
 
This is CWC-75-04. 
 
1.  (C)  Gordon Eckersley of the Australian delegation to the 
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons 
expressed full agreement with the U.S. goal of finding the 
most expeditious way to dispose of the chemical munitions 
discovered on Mbanika Island.  He recommended that the 
appropriate U.S. officials simply contact the representatives 
of the Australian military on the Solomon Islands to discuss 
what course of action would be most efficient. 
 
2.  (C)  Eckersley stated that he was familiar with the 
background of the issue and confirmed that the Australian 
military had considered possibly destroying the munitions. 
However, they did not proceed for two reasons.  First and 
foremost, there has never been a formal request from the 
Government of the Solomon Islands to Australia to eliminate 
the munitions.  The informal request had come from some local 
residents, which Canberra judged was an insufficient basis on 
which to act.  Second, while Australia has experience in 
dealing with old and abandoned CW, there were questions which 
arose in Canberra about the destruction methodology which the 
Australian military was contemplating.  Eckersley said he did 
not have any further details on the methodology or the 
concerns. 
 
3.  (C)  With regard to the involvement of the Technical 
Secretariat (TS) of the OPCW, Eckersley stated that Australia 
 
SIPDIS 
merely wants to ensure that the TS is appropriately notified 
of the ultimate disposal of these abandoned munitions.  His 
understanding is that there is no/no desire in Canberra to 
have the TS take any action in connection with actual 
destruction of the munitions.  He concurred that the U.S., 
Australia and Solomon Islands are the parties that should be 
involved in eliminating these munitions. 
 
4.  (C)  Eckersley concluded by noting that Keith Wilson of 
the Political Affairs Branch of the TS had recently been in 
the Solomon Islands and had received indications that the 
authorities are discussing whether to accede to the CW 
Convention.  He thought that an efficient resolution of these 
WWII chemical munitions might play a role in convincing the 
Solomon Islands to join the CWC. 
 
5.  (U)  Javits sends. 
SOBEL