US embassy cable - 03ROME5629

UNCLAS ROME 005629 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
L/PIL FOR HAL BURMAN AND JEFF KOVAR 
IO/S FOR LISA JACOBSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC, ABUD, UNIDROIT 
SUBJECT: U.S. CANDIDATE ELECTED TO UNIDROIT GOVERNING 
COUNCIL 
 
REF: ROME 4701 
 
1. SUMMARY: THE 57TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
INSTITUTE FOR THE UNIFICATION OF PRIVATE LAW (UNIDROIT) MET 
ON NOVEMBER 28.  THE PROGRAM OF WORK AND THE BUDGET (AS 
APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SEE REF) WERE APPROVED 
AND A NEW GOVERNING COUNCIL ELECTED.  U.S. CANDIDATE HENRY 
DEEB GABRIEL WAS ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL.  END SUMMARY. 
 
    2. THE 57TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE 
FOR THE UNIFICATION OF PRIVATE LAW (UNIDROIT) MET ON 
NOVEMBER 28 TO CONSIDER THE PROGRAM OF WORK AND BUDGET FOR 
THE NEXT YEAR AND TO ELECT A NEW GOVERNING COUNCIL. 
REPRESENTATIVES FROM 54 OF THE 56 MEMBER NATIONS ATTENDED 
THE ONE-DAY EVENT AT THE ORGANIZATIONS' HEADQUARTERS IN 
ROME.  THREE FORMAL PRESENTATIONS WERE MADE: ON THE 
INSTITUTE'S ACTIVITIES DURING 2003, ITS STRATEGIC PLAN, AND 
ON THE CURRENT STATE OF WORK OF THE STUDY GROUP ON 
HARMONIZED RULES REGARDING INDIRECTLY HELD SECURITIES.  IN 
ADDITION, THE BUDGET FOR 2004 (AS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY 
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SEE REF) WAS PRESENTED AND ADOPTED. 
 
3. OVERSHADOWING EVERYTHING ELSE WAS THE ELECTION OF THE 
NEW GOVERNING COUNCIL, WHICH WILL SERVE FOR THE NEXT FIVE 
YEARS.  U.S. CANDIDATE HENRY DEEB GABRIEL WAS ONE OF 25 NEW 
ELECTEES, RECEIVING 43 VOTES.  BECAUSE OF THE HIGH NUMBER 
OF NATIONS IN ATTENDANCE AND THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THIS 
TERM'S ELECTION, MANY MORE VOTES WERE NEEDED TO SECURE A 
SEAT THAN IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS.  ONE CANDIDATE (EGYPTIAN) 
WHO GARNERED 39 VOTES DID NOT GAIN A SEAT, AND NO CANDIDATE 
FROM THE ENTIRE CONTINENT OF AFRICA WAS ELECTED, CAUSING 
CONSTERNATION AMONG SEVERAL DELEGATES AND AT LEAST ONE CALL 
FOR A RE-VAMPING OF ELECTION BY-LAWS.  EUROPEANS CONTINUED 
TO DOMINATE THE GOVERNING COUNCIL, SECURING 14 SEATS. 
 
4. MOST AGENDA ITEMS WERE PRESENTED AND ADOPTED WITHOUT 
COMMENT.  DURING THE DISCUSSION OF ARREARS, FOUR NATIONS 
(CHINA, ITALY, MEXICO, URUGUAY) PLEDGED TO SETTLE THEIR 
ACCOUNTS SHORTLY.  SEVERAL DELEGATIONS, INCLUDING THE U.S., 
MADE INTERVENTIONS DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION.  SOME OF 
    THESE INTERVENTIONS QUESTIONED SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS, BUT 
ONLY HALF-HEARTEDLY DUE TO THE RELATIVELY SMALL SIZE OF THE 
ORGANIZATION'S BUDGET AS A WHOLE (UNDER USD 2 MILLION 
ANNUALLY), COMPARED WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. 
SIMILAR TO OCTOBER'S FINANCE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION, THE U.S. 
INTERVENTION FOCUSED ON THE VALUE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, ON 
RESULTS BASED BUDGETING AND THE LINKING OF GOALS WITH 
RESOURCES NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. 
 
5. AS A RESULT OF PREVIOUS ENCOURAGEMENT AS WELL AS THE 
CONCLUSIONS OF TWO BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS HELD IN THE 
SPRING OF 2003, THE SECRETARIAT FORMALLY PRESENTED A 
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE FIRST TIME. 
ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN INCLUDED A SHORT HISTORY OF UNIDROIT 
AND ITS CONSTITUENCIES, AN ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S 
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES (AS WELL AS REMEDIES FOR THE 
WEAKNESSES) AND IDENTIFICATION OF UNIDROIT'S PRIORITIES AND 
OBJECTIVES.  COPIES OF THE PLAN HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO 
L/PIL AND IO/S. 
 
HALL 
 
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	2003ROME05629 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED