US embassy cable - 04SANTODOMINGO1597

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001597 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR IO; GENEVA FOR LABOR ATTACHE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, AORC, ILO, DR, PINR (RAY GUEVARA, MILTON) 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN LABOR MINISTER IS CANDIDATE TO CHAIR ILO 
ANNUAL MEETING 
 
 
1.  Dominican Labor Minister Milton RAY Guevara called on the 
Ambassador on March 6 to solicit U.S. support for him within 
the Americas group to chair the annual ILO session in June. 
In the normal course of rotation, the Americas are to provide 
a chair.   Ray indicated that the long-serving Labor Minister 
of Brazil had been tipped to be the Americas candidate but 
had recently been moved to other responsibilities. 
 
2.  Ray Guevara said he telephoned Mexican Labor Minister 
Abascal Carranza, expected to be a strong candidate for the 
responsibility.  After taking a day to think it over, Abascal 
told Ray he would not contest Ray's bid. 
 
3.  The Minister asked the Ambassador to advise U.S. 
authorities of his request for U.S. support for the position. 
 
4.  Comment:  Ray Guevara is well and favorably known to the 
Embassy.  Born in 1948 in Samana, Dominican Republic, he has 
a long and distinguished career.  He graduated in law summa 
cum laude at the Catholic University in Santo Domingo and 
completed a master's and doctorate in labor law at the 
University of Nice, France, as well as a master's in social, 
labor and commercial law at the Sorbonne.  He holds other law 
certificates from instututes in Strasburg, Trieste and Nice. 
He was a Minister without portfolio in 1978, Consul General 
in New York in 1981, and Ambassador to France, the UK, 
Yugoslavia, Belgium and the European Union in the mid-1980's. 
 Law professor at the Catholic University 1988-1996.  He has 
authored a law text and numerous articles and was a member of 
the commission that drew up the new Labor Law in the 1990's. 
Founding member and executive director of the NGO Foundation 
for Institution Building and Justice, 1990-1996.  Senator 
from Samana province, 1998-2000 and president of the Senate 
Law Committee.  Long list of participation in official 
delegations.  Ray does not speak English. 
KUBISKE