US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE2682

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002682 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR AC A/S RADEMAKER FROM AMBASSADOR JAVITS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, CWC 
SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): ENSURING 
PAYMENT TO THE OPCW 
 
This is CWC-122-04. 
 
1.  (SBU) When PDAS Frank Record visited recently, it was 
particularly important that he brought the news that 
Washington had finally cleared payment of 9.4 million Euros 
to the OPCW.  The organization was beginning to feel the 
pinch of the late U.S. payment, and Director-General Pfirter 
was most relieved to receive word of this partial payment of 
both our assessed contribution and other obligations. 
 
2.  (SBU) No one, especially the Director-General, doubts 
that the U.S. will eventually pay its 15.1 million Euro 
assessed contribution for this year as well as other 
obligations.  However, you need to be aware of the negative 
impact of such very late payments to our efforts to enhance 
the OPCW contribution to U.S. security policy.  It was 
notable and encouraging that in the vast majority of the 
record number of opening statements at this week's Executive 
Council meeting, delegations emphasized the important 
contribution the OPCW is making in the effort to combat the 
spread of WMD and the role such work plays in the global 
campaign against terrorism.  In my own statement, I added the 
point that the OPCW's work significantly promotes the goals 
of UNSCR 1540. 
 
3.  (SBU) However, it is increasingly untenable to have the 
U.S. provide strong statements of support for the work of the 
OPCW, and then not provide promised obligatory funding.  If 
we believe the OPCW does make a contribution to our global 
anti-terrorism and nonproliferation efforts, and we want to 
continue to push the organization to do more in these areas, 
then we need to make certain that future funding is assured 
on a timely basis so that U.S. credibility is not put in 
question.  Other delegations obviously are fully aware of the 
U.S. payment record.  The opening statements made by Japan 
and the European Union (through the Dutch delegation) made 
explicit reference to the need for full and timely payment of 
assessed contributions, a point raised by numerous other 
delegations.  It was painfully obvious to all that the U.S. 
was in the cross-hairs. 
 
4.  (SBU) I know one of Under Secretary Grossman's favorite 
sayings is "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions." 
The reason I am raising this issue with you is to ask for 
your assistance in working to find a solution so that we can 
avoid a repetition of this year's painfully late payment that 
is having an impact on the operations at the OPCW.  In 
particular, I would ask for your consideration in determining 
how to set up a mechanism that would give priority to 
national security organizations.  That could entail a 
separate account for "security organizations" being set up 
within the Commerce Justice State appropriation.  However, I 
am certainly not wedded to that particular fix, and am open 
to any suggestions from you or your staff.  Ultimately, what 
I hope we together can arrange is an appropriate mechanism 
that could ensure more prompt and full payment of our 
obligations to the OPCW. 
 
5.  (SBU) I will be seeing you in Washington on October 
20-21, and would like to discuss this urgent matter with you 
and members of your staff.  Once again, I appreciate all the 
work you and PDAS Record did to ensure the first amount of 
U.S. funding reached the OPCW, and I would ask for your 
support to guarantee that such damage to U.S. interests does 
not occur again. 
 
6.  (U)  Javits sends. 
SOBEL