US embassy cable - 05WELLINGTON792

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000792 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ISN/MNA AND EAP/ANP 
USUN FOR POL 
GENEVA FOR CD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015 
TAGS: AORC, PARM, PREL, MNUC, CA, MX, NZ 
SUBJECT: 60TH UNFC: NEW ZEALAND RESPONDS TO DEMARCHE ON 
UNFC DRAFT RESOLUTION ON AD HOC COMMITTEES 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 187183 
 
     B. SECSTATE 185313 
 
Classified by Charge d'Affaires David R. Burnett.  Reasons: 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Largely because of frustration over the lack of 
progress in the Geneva Conference on Disarmament, the New 
Zealand government supports the draft resolution in the UN 
First Committee that would establish Ad Hoc Committees under 
the UN General Assembly.  However, New Zealand does not want 
the committees to replace the Conference on Disarmament (CD) 
and would welcome U.S. ideas for moving the CD forward. 
 
2. (C) Post on October 6 delivered ref B points to the New 
Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).  The 
Charge on October 12 raised the issue with Simon Murdoch, 
MFAT's chief executive, during a discussion on how New 
Zealand sometimes sends negative signals to the United 
States.  The Charge also raised the issue October 13 during 
his monthly lunch with the heads of the Canadian and Mexican 
missions here, stressing that if the Ad Hoc Committees were 
set up, the United States would not participate.  The Mexican 
Ambassador (protect), who served six years in Geneva working 
arms control and disarmament issues, agreed that this 
initiative was a poor substitute for progress in the CD. 
 
3. (C) Acting pol-econ chief on October 12 discussed the 
issue with Caroline McDonald, director of MFAT's disarmament 
division. McDonald noted that New Zealand representatives 
consulted with other governments on the issue on October 6 in 
New York and that Washington should be aware of New Zealand's 
position. 
 
4. (C) McDonald said her government's support of the draft 
resolution stems primarily from frustration with the CD's 
lack of progress, in the face of global disarmament and 
proliferation challenges.  She noted that the CD for the last 
eight years has been unable to agree on a work agenda, 
preventing key issues from being discussed.  She also pointed 
to frustration over the lack of a major outcome from the 
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference and over 
the UN High-Level Summit Document's failure to mention 
disarmament. 
 
5. (C) New Zealand is not trying to replace or end the CD, 
McDonald said.  The draft resolution, in fact, says that the 
Ad Hoc Committees would cease once the CD adopted a work 
program.  The New Zealand government believes the U.S. 
government shares its objective to get the CD to address key 
disarmament and proliferation issues.  Implying that New 
Zealand would not support the Ad Hoc Committees if the CD 
were making progress, McDonald said her government would 
welcome U.S. ideas for attaining our common objective of 
getting the CD to "get down to real work." 
 
6. (C) McDonald also emphasized that New Zealand supports the 
need for the rule of consensus when substantive negotiations 
take place.  However, in the CD, the need for consensus has 
prevented agreement on a work program, with procedural rules 
being employed that inhibit progress.  Until that logjam is 
cleared, New Zealand sees the Ad Hoc Committees as a possible 
way for carrying forward discussions on the key disarmament 
and proliferation issues. 
Burnett