US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI2529

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002529 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, EB/ESC/TFS FOR DNELSON, EB/EPPD 
CTHOMPSON, S/CT TKUSHNER, IO/PSC JSCHWEITZER 
TREASURY FOR ZARATE, OFAC FOR WERNER 
JUSTICE FOR BSWARTZ, CALEXANDRE, MWARLOW 
MANAMA FOR OFAC ATTACHE JBEAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, KTFN, TC, Terrorism 
SUBJECT: UAE ONE STEP CLOSER TO RATIFYING TWO ANTI-TERROR 
CONVENTIONS 
 
REF: 2004 ABU DHABI 02591 
 
1. The UAE Cabinet of Ministers approved, on June 6, the 
accession to two UN Conventions on Terrorism -- the 1999 
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism 
and the 1997 Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist 
Bombings.  This decision brings the UAE one step closer to 
formally acceding to the conventions, but the Federal Supreme 
Council of Rulers now needs to issue a decree to formally 
ratify the conventions.  The Undersecretary for International 
Cooperation at the Ministry of Justice told Econoff June 7 
that "moving the two conventions through the UAE's 
constitutional process will be smooth" and that formal 
ratification "will only be a matter of time." 
 
2. The Central Bank's representative to the UAE's National 
Counter Terrorism Committee told econoff June 7 that the 
committee had recommended the Cabinet adopt the two 
conventions.  He also noted that last year, when the UAE was 
drafting its new counter terrorism law (Law No. 1 of 2004), 
that it drew from the Convention for the Suppression of 
Terrorist Financing, even though the UAE was not officially a 
party to the convention.  With the passage of Law No. 1 of 
2004 (reftel) and the previously enacted anti-money 
laundering law (Law No. 4 of 2002), UAE legislation is 
already largely in line with the terror finance convention. 
 
3. A June 7 "Gulf News" article quoted the Undersecretary for 
International Cooperation at the Ministry of Justice, "the 
UAE has been a party to eight out of the twelve 
anti-terrorism conventions.  The UAE is exerting tremendous 
efforts to combat terrorism either by developing its 
legislation or through international cooperation...These two 
conventions, especially the one for the suppression of the 
financing of terrorism, are considered the most important 
conventions in our fight against terrorism."  The UAE is 
considering acceding to the 1988 Convention on the Safety of 
Maritime Navigation, and the 1988 Protocol on the Safety of 
Fixed Platforms. 
SISON