US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS2683

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 002683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL/PC MAREN BROOKS; USUNVIE FOR HOWARD 
SOLOMON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, KCRM, PREL, SNAR, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: CENTRAL DUBLIN GROUP MEETING: JUNE 2004 
 
REF: BRUSSELS 0139 
 
 1.  This cable contains an action request.  See para. 9. 
 
2.  Summary.  During its June 22 meeting, the members of the 
Central Dublin Group (DG) reviewed regional reports from 
Eastern Europe (submitted by Germany), the Balkans and the 
Near East (Greece), Central Asia (Italy), South West Asia 
(U.K.), and South East Asia (Japan).  The U.K. and U.S. gave 
presentations on counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan. 
The 10 new EU accession states participated as full members 
of the Group for the first time.  The Commission and the EU 
Drug Monitoring Center attended as observers, but Europol and 
the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) did not attend. 
(UNODC was preparing for the Paris Pact meeting in Moscow.) 
DG Chair Raymond Yans of the Belgian MFA launched a 
self-examination of the Group's objectives, structure, work 
program, and criteria for accepting new members.  The chair 
intends to circulate a questionnaire to solicit member views 
on these issues.  Survey results will be discussed at the 
winter meeting in December.  U.S. rep to the meeting was 
USEU/NAS Frank Kerber.  End Summary. 
 
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Thematic Discussion on Afghanistan 
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3.  Lesley Pallet of the U.K.'s FCO Department on Drugs and 
International Crime gave a general overview of 
counter-narcotics (CN) objectives and operations in 
Afghanistan.  (Entire powerpoint presentation has been faxed 
to INL/PC.)  Pallett noted that Afghanistan generates 70 
percent of the world's heroin.  Opium poppy covers one 
percent of the country's total arable land.  Seven percent of 
the population grows opium.  In 2003, 80,000 hectares were 
under cultivation, yielding 3,600 tons of opium.  The Afghan 
Narcotics Force is now operational.  Over 32 tons of opium 
have been seized and 32 heroin labs destroyed.  The Afghan 
Counter Narcotics Police, with 170 trained officers and 7 
offices nationwide, is now conducting stop and search 
operations in Kabul.  USDEL then presented an overview of USG 
assistance to the CN effort and distributed materials 
provided by INL.  Japan noted the June 14, 2004 report by 
UNODC Director Costa which was unusually candid and negative 
in its evaluation of the drug situation in Afghanistan. 
Japan noted that most interdiction assistance is targeted on 
Afghanistan's western borders to the neglect of its eastern 
borders.  As a result, Afghan opium flows are increasing 
toward Asia.  Several members noted the work of the Paris 
Pact in coordinating efforts to staunch opium flows from 
Afghanistan to Europe.  USDEL suggested that UNODC present a 
report at the next meeting on the Paris Pact roundtables in 
Moscow and Tashkent and on the policy planning meeting to be 
held in Vienna this fall.  Group discussion focused on the 
poor security in the countryside and the critical role of 
NATO's military cooperation.  In summing up the discussion, 
the Chair suggested that the thematic discussion at the next 
DG meeting be on NATO's efforts to secure Afghanistan.  This 
suggestion was agreed to by the members. 
 
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Regional Reports 
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4. The members reviewed regional reports from Eastern Europe 
(Germany), Balkans and the Near East (Greece), Central Asia 
(Italy), South West Asia (U.K.), and South East Asia (Japan). 
 (Reports will be sent to INL/PC.)  As instructed, during the 
discussion of the U.K report on the South West Asia, USDEL 
noted the recommendation made by the Mini Dublin Group (MDG) 
in New Delhi that capitals support the USG's co-funding of 
phase 2 of UNODC's chemical precursor control project and 
observed that these projects are among the best projects run 
by the UNODC worldwide.  This view was supported by Japan. 
USDEL also flagged the semiannual report submitted by the 
Mexico City MDG. 
 
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Self-Evaluation of the Dublin Group 
----------------------------------- 
 
5.  Chairman Raymond Yans distributed a paper entitled "The 
Future of the Dublin Group" in which he outlined the Group's 
strengths and weaknesses he has observed during his three 
years as chairman.  The DG began almost 15 years ago - at USG 
urging - as a forum for donor countries to coordinate 
anti-narcotics programs around the world.  The Group has not 
revised its operational guidelines since 2000.  The addition 
of the ten EU accession states on May 1 increased membership 
in the Group to 30, plus regular observers Europol, UNODC, 
the EU Drug Monitoring Center and the Commission.  With 
membership applications from Turkey, China, Russia and 
Thailand in the hopper and no clear criteria for accepting 
new members, Belgian Chair Raymond Yans opined this was an 
opportune time to take stock 
 
6.  In his paper, the Chair notes that the quality of the 
regional reports has improved during his chairmanship, that 
better work is being done by some - but not all - of the 
Mini-Dublin Groups, and that the "thematic debates" held at 
the Central DG meetings have been successful and informative. 
 On the negative side, he notes that some Mini Dublin Groups 
do not meet at all or only rarely.  Some delegates to the MDG 
meetings do not receive instructions from their capitals for 
their meetings.  The level of participation at the Central DG 
meetings continues to deteriorate.  Some delegations are now 
sending second or third secretaries who have nothing to 
contribute to the meetings.  Finally, the regional reports 
often arrive too late for translation and distribution; 
consequently, participants do not have time to read and 
reflect on the reports. 
 
7.  The chair therefore called on the Group to begin a 
process of reflection and self-evaluation.  He suggested that 
the Secretariat send out a questionnaire to all delegations 
which would solicit views on the objectives of the Dublin 
Group, its present organizational structure, the value of the 
thematic discussions and regional reports, and possible 
criteria for admitting new members.  Survey results would be 
due by the end of October and discussed at the next meeting 
in December.  Italy, Japan, the Commission and the U.S. spoke 
out in favor of the proposal. 
 
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Comment 
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8.  It is clear some regional groups are more active than 
others.  Some MDG's (there are currently some 75 MDGs 
worldwide) and regional chairs could be dropped entirely in 
favor of focusing on the more active ones of more concern to 
the members.  The 2000 guidelines state that regional chairs 
should be rotated every two years.   The work of the regional 
chairs currently falls disproportionately on eight countries: 
Spain, Greece, Italy, Japan, Germany, The Netherlands, France 
and the U.S.  The role of regional chairs should be spread 
more widely and regularly rotated among the other members. 
(The U.K. privately agreed with these views.) 
 
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Action Request 
-------------- 
 
9.  The annual U.S. report on Central America and Mexico is 
on the agenda for the next meeting.  The Chair has requested 
that all reports be submitted by December 1 to allow 
sufficient time for translation, distribution and 
consideration by capitals.  The evaluation questionnaire, 
along with Mission views, will be forwarded to INL/PC when 
received,  Washington is reminded that submissions will be 
due the end of October.  Finally, it is likely the 
Secretariat will approach NATO for a speaker for the next 
 
SIPDIS 
thematic discussion on NATO's role in facilitating CN efforts 
in Afghanistan.  However, Washington should consider whether 
we should also offer a U.S. presentation. 
 
FOSTER