US embassy cable - 05VIENNA1704

UNCLAS VIENNA 001704 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR IO/T JCOWLEY AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, SCUL, AU, UNESCO 
SUBJECT: UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY: AUSTRIAN 
RESPONSE 
 
REF: STATE 089776 
 
Ministry of Economy Supports USG Position, but... 
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1.  (SBU) On May 20 Econ Unit Chief delivered reftel talking 
points to Helge Plank, Head of the Ministry of Economy's 
Multilateral Trade Affairs Services Unit.  Plank acknowledged 
that the GoA shared USG concerns with language on "cultural 
goods and services" in the current convention draft.  He 
added that the current language in Articles 5 and 20 were 
unacceptable to Austria.  Concerning Article 20, Plank opined 
that it was premature to discuss which obligations would be 
derived from the various instruments.  Plank agreed that 
negotiators should not push forward an unsatisfactory 
document to present to the UNESCO General Conference this 
fall.  Nevertheless, Plank cautioned that the Austrian 
cultural community was an influential lobbying group in 
Austria, whose views the GoA would also consider.  Plank said 
that the MoE has forwarded a position paper to the MFA, which 
had competency on this issue, arguing for replacing 
references to "cultural protection" with "cultural 
preservation." 
 
 
...Ministry of Foreign Affairs Can Live With Current Text 
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2,  (SBU)   PolOff met separately on May 20 with Ilona Hoyos, 
head of the MFA's UNESCO Affairs Section, and Guenter 
Stickler of the MFA's Multilateral Trade Affairs Division to 
deliver reftel points.  Stickler and Hoyos said the GoA could 
support both articles, as written, although they hoped an 
improved draft would emerge from the Paris session.  They 
acknowledged the convention should be consistent with, and 
not supercede any existing international agreements. 
However, Stickler stated that the proposed USG draft of 
Article 20 was "too extreme."  In addition, he observed that 
the term "States Parties" in the USG version does not meet 
WTO conditions, as it refers to states and not customs 
territories. 
 
3.  (SBU) Stickler and Hoyos also said that the GoA supported 
the use of "protect" in the convention instead of "preserve." 
 Hoyos expressed hope that the working group would be able to 
report progress at the third session.  Hoyos, who will 
represent the GoA at the May 25 session, opined that if 
negotiators cannot reach agreement at this session, UNESCO 
will ultimately convoke a fourth session. 
Brown