US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV1024

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/IPA, AND OES/PCI 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL/FIDLER AND MEDEARIS 
NAIROBI PLEASE PASS U.S. DEL TO UNEP GC 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, KPAL, KWBG, PGOV, PREL, IS, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT:  ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS 
COMMITTEE RESURRECTED FOLLOWING FOUR-YEAR INTERRUPTION 
 
REF:  A) 04 TEL AVIV 6442 (NOTAL), B) TEL AVIV 5567 (NOTAL) 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
This message has been cleared with Consulate General 
Jerusalem. 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  Israeli and Palestinian officials met in 
Helsinki February 10 and agreed to reactivate the Joint 
Environmental Experts Committee (EEC) established under the 
1995 Interim Agreement.  The EEC will meet in Jerusalem May 
2.  The two sides also agreed to cooperate on disposition of 
hazardous waste and construction debris and related capacity 
building.  The Helsinki meeting was convened by UNEP with 
the support of the Government of Finland.  Israeli officials 
who attended the Helsinki meeting are optimistic that the 
UNEP Governing Council will support continuation of 
activities under the UNEP Desk Study, in the spirit of 
cooperation evidenced in Helsinki.   The Israeli-Palestinian 
meeting followed a February 7-9 UNEP Capacity Building 
Seminar on Hazardous Waste in the Middle East attended by 
Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority.  End 
summary. 
 
2. (SBU) GOI MFA and Environment Ministry officials reported 
to ESTH Officer that their meetings with Palestinian 
counterparts in Helsinki February 10 resulted in agreement 
to reactivate the Joint Environmental Experts Committee 
(EEC) under the 1995 Interim Agreement.  According to an MFA 
participant, the EEC last met more than four years ago.  The 
EEC will meet in Jerusalem May 2, but meetings and 
cooperation on specific issues will likely move forward 
before then.  The Helsinki meeting took place under the 
aegis of the U.N. Environmental Program Desk Study on the 
Palestinian Territories.  Among other recommendations, the 
Desk Study had sought reactivation of the experts meetings 
established by the Oslo accords. 
 
3. (SBU) In Helsinki, the two sides also agreed to work 
jointly and with the support of UNEP on capacity building in 
solid and hazardous waste disposal.  They will furthermore 
cooperate on disposal of used tires and construction debris. 
The bilateral meeting followed a Capacity Building Seminar 
on Hazardous Waste in the Middle East in Helsinki February 7- 
9 organized by UNEP and the Government of Finland attended 
by delegations from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the 
Palestinian Authority. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment:  The revival of the EEC is much-needed 
good news in the Israeli-Palestinian environmental arena, 
where numerous pressing issues have been ignored in recent 
years.  The MFA participant in Helsinki told ESTH Officer he 
is optimistic that the UNEP Governing Council, meeting in 
Nairobi February 21-25, will approve continuing activities 
under the UNEP Desk Study in the same harmonious spirit 
evidenced in Helsinki. 
 
KURTZER