Cablegate: Action Request: Asia-Pacific Aviation Security

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DE RUEHC #8175 0571700
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O 261655Z FEB 10
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TO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK IMMEDIATE 0000
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RHMCSUU/FAA NATIONAL HQ WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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UNCLAS STATE 018175

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DHS FOR OIA (DPALMERI AND MMOONEY)
TSA FOR OGS (DMCQUAID)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC EAIR IN PGOV PK PTER XB
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: ASIA-PACIFIC AVIATION SECURITY
MINISTERIAL

This message is sensitive but unclassified.
Handle accordingly.

1. (U) This message contains an action
request. See paragraph 3. It has been sent in
collaboration with the Department of Homeland
Security.

Summary
-------

2. (SBU) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Secretary Janet Napolitano will travel to Tokyo
March 12-14, 2010 to attend a conference on
aviation security. Japan is hosting the conference
and has invited ministers with aviation or
transport security-related responsibilities from
Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, People,s
Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macao, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United
States. The ministerial level meeting will take
place on March 13. (Note: the countries were
chosen by Japan, in coordination with DHS and the
Department, based on a list of major aviation hubs
in the hemisphere and participation in regional
Directors General of Civil Aviation annual
meetings. In accordance with Japan,s direct
request, we are asking action addressees to engage
with host governments at the following posts, given
their importance to regional aviation security:
Bangkok, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila,
New Delhi, Seoul, Singapore, and Wellington. Japan
has also invited ICAO and the Secretary General of
ICAO will attend. This conference provides an
opportunity to reiterate that the international
community shares responsibility for global aviation
security and to identify specific areas on which
countries can focus their efforts to strengthen
global aviation security. End Summary.

Action Request
--------------

3. (SBU) Drawing on talking points provided in
paragraph 10 and the background information below,
action addressee posts should engage host
governments at the highest appropriate level to
express strong USG support for the GOJ's planned
conference and to persuade the host government to
facilitate the personal participation of the
transportation minister. If the minister is unable
to attend in person, post should encourage the
government to send as high-level a substitute as it
is able. Posts should underscore the personal
participation of Secretary Napolitano, while
avoiding the impression that the conference is a
solely USG-driven or prompted event. Info addressee
posts are also encouraged to ascertain their host
government's participation and at what level it
will be represented. This information should be
conveyed by e-mail to Matthew Mooney, DHS Office of
International Affairs, at Matthew.Mooney@HG.DHS.GOV;
Brian Siler, Office of Transportation Policy in
State's Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business
Affairs, at silerbj@state.gov; and Susan Unruh, at
State,s EAP Bureau-Japan Desk, at unruhsl@state.gov;
Daniel A. McQuaid, Asia-Pacific Area Director,
Office of Global Strategies, Transportation Security
Administration, as daniel.mcquaid@dhs.gov. Post can
direct questions about the ministerial to Matthew
Mooney ( 1 202 282-8217). Questions from host
country press should be referred to Matt Chandler
( 1 202 282-8010 Matthew.Chandler@HQ.DHS.GOV) in
the DHS Office of Public Affairs.

Background
----------

4. (SBU) Following the attempted December 25,
2009 bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253,
President Obama directed DHS to "strengthen
international partnerships and coordination on
aviation security issues." (In the President,s
January 7, 2010, Memorandum to Department Heads).
Secretary Napolitano dispatched Deputy Secretary
Jane Holl Lute January 3-14, 2010 to the
Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Israel,
the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia,
Nigeria, and Brazil, as well as a January 28, 2010
trip to Canada. At the Spanish government,s
invitation, Secretary Napolitano discussed aviation
security with European counterparts at a meeting of
European Union (EU) Justice and Home Affairs
ministers in Toledo, Spain on January 21, 2010. At
that time, Secretary Napolitano and her European
Counterparts released a joint U.S.-EU Declaration
on aviation security that captured a growing
international consensus (The text is available at
http://www.dhs.gov/
ynews/releases/pr 1264119013710.shtm).

5. (SBU) The U.S.-EU Declaration captured four key
areas of focus for this international effort to
strengthen aviation security: 1) information
collection and identity management, 2) information
sharing and collaboration in passenger vetting, 3)
technology modernization, and 4) improved
international standards, including the coordination
of international training and technical assistance
to help all countries achieve those new standards.

6. (SBU) On February 17, 2010, Secretary Napolitano
joined representatives from North, Central, and
South America, as well as the Caribbean, in Mexico
City for a second international aviation security
Ministerial. Building on the four key focal areas
of the U.S.-EU Declaration, ministers who attended
the conference agreed to a Joint Declaration on
Civil Aviation Security which recognized that the
air transportation system and aviation security
constitute global goods and are shared
responsibilities of the international community.
Through the Declaration, participants agreed to
support ICAO efforts to strengthen domestic and
international civil aviation security standards,
including Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention;
explore means of improving information collection
and exchange, including more effectively supporting
screening by transmitting passengers, information
in a timely manner prior to takeoff; promote
national and international research on detection of
prohibited items and identification of dangerous
individuals; and enhance regional and international
cooperation to support capacity building, improve
aviation security measures, methods, and security
frameworks. (The text is available at
http://www.dhs.gov/
xabout/international/gc 1266421175567.shtm).

7. (SBU) The conference in Japan, along with
upcoming similar ministerial meetings planned for
the Middle East and Africa, seeks to build on the
previous international engagements, and will set
the stage for a global ministerial meeting on
aviation security later in 2010 and/or the ICAO
Assembly which is scheduled for fall 2010.

8. (SBU) Potential deliverables from the March 13,
2010 aviation security meeting in Tokyo include:
commitment to enhance standards in ICAO,s Annex 17
and Annex 9; commitment to the ICAO Donors
Conference and to coordinate training and technical
assistance efforts; sharing best practices on
screening and detection; and agreement to enhance
communication on aviation security and threats.
DHS will also seek bilateral deliverables related
to each of the four focus areas outlined above.

9. (SBU) DHS will work with those countries
attending the Ministerial to coordinate outreach to
those countries in the region not attending. DHS
is open to exploring other venues for consultation
in the region, such as the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum (APEC).

Talking Points
--------------

10. (SBU) Talking Points.

The Aviation Security Ministerial Japan is hosting
provides an opportunity to strengthen aviation
security in Asia/Pacific and around the world. In
particular, we hope that the conference will
identify specific areas for enhanced cooperation
and that the participants will publicly affirm the
importance of securing the global aviation system
and the role and responsibility every country has in
this effort. On behalf of Secretary Napolitano, and
in conjunction with the Government of Japan, I would
like to request Minister (insert) to attend the
Ministerial in Tokyo, in recognition of the critical
role (country) plays in regional aviation security.

Secretary Napolitano looks forward to meeting with
Minister (insert) in Tokyo and together to help
strengthen global aviation security. She looks
forward to hearing the views and priorities of her
counterparts from the region. U.S. priorities
include commitment to enhance standards in ICAO,s
Annex 17 and Annex 9; commitment to the ICAO Donors
Conference and to coordinate training and technical
assistance efforts; sharing best practices on
screening and detection; and agreement to enhance
communication on aviation security and threats.

As host of the conference, the Government of Japan
selected the location, date, and participants.
Strengthening global aviation security requires
broad international cooperation, however, and a
sustained effort on the part of every country. The
United States will continue to work with partners
across Asia/Pacific both bilaterally and through
multilateral fora, including the International Civil
Aviation Organization, International Air Transport
Association, and APEC.
CLINTON

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