US embassy cable - 05PARIS4529

UNCLAS PARIS 004529 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
FOR IO/S STEVE JOHNSTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AFIN, AORC, KUNR, ETRD, IO, UNESCO 
SUBJECT: USUNESCO:  IO&P VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS 
TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR ACTUAL 
EXPENDITURE DATA FOR 2004 WITHHOLDINGS FOR PARIAH 
STATES 
 
REF:  STATE 73949, STATE 86037 
 
1.  As per reftels, post provided by fax copies of 
letters submitted by UNESCO indicating how the 
voluntary contributions were used in FY 2004. 
 
2.  Excerpt text of letter 20 May 2005 submitted by 
Director, Division for Cooperation with Extrabudgetary 
Funding sources follows: 
 
 
"In 2004 the World Heritage Centre's expenditure for 
activities in the Islamic Republic of Iran was 
US$50,000 as foreseen.  Of the total voluntary 
contributions received by the World Heritage Fund 
during 2004 the percentage share of the United States 
voluntary contribution amounts to 20.86%.  However, 
this percentage refers to an overall contribution from 
your authorities of US657,861, which includes also 
US$11,861 as a complementary transfer of the US 
contribution for 2003.  Therefore, considering the 
Department of State contribution for the World Heritage 
Fund for 2004 only, the percentage would be 20.48%. 
 
Of the total voluntary contributions received by the 
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission in 2004 
(counting both total voluntary contributions to the IOC 
special Account and Funds-in-Trust projects) the 
percentage share of the United States voluntary 
contributions is 9.78%. 
 
For the sake of good order, it should be added that the 
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission has not used 
any funds for activities in any of the countries listed 
in your letter.  End letter" 
 
3.  Excerpt of Letter addressed to Mr. Holmes from 
UNESCO Director General Matsuura dated August 12, 2004: 
 
"None of the funds to be provided by the United States 
in fiscal year 2004 to the International Programme for 
the Development of Communication, implementing the 
project "Assisting the Voice of Afghan Women in Global 
Media to establish the first privately owned Television 
Station in Kabul", the Intergovernmental Oceanographic 
Commission, the collaboration between UNESCO and the 
U.S. National Academies of Science and Engineering or 
the programme on "Enhancing the Engineering Component 
within UNESCO for Sustainable Human Development, 
Infrastructure Capacity Building, and Support for 
Development Goals of the Millennium Summit" will be 
used in favour of the programme activities in Cuba, the 
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Islamic 
Republic of Iran, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Myanmar, 
the Syrian Arab Republic or for the Palestinian 
Liberation Organization or entities associated with it. 
 
The World Heritage Centre, however, envisages providing 
US$50,000 in 2004 to activities in the Islamic Republic 
of Iran. The best current estimate of the percentage 
share of the United States voluntary contribution of 
all voluntary contributions for 2004 to the 
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission is 11% 
(counting both total voluntary contributions to the IOC 
Special Account and Funds-in-Trust projects): for the 
World Heritage Fund it is 22%, and for the two 
contributions to the Natural Sciences sub-programme on 
capacity-building in the basic engineering it is 13.8%. 
 
With regards to the contribution "to allow the U.S. 
National Commission on Libraries and Information 
Science (NCLIS) to lay the groundwork for assisting 
libraries in developing countries to serve as local 
distribution centers for consumer health information", 
the information will be provide as soon as UNESCO and 
NCLIS have decided upon the exact manner of 
implementation." 
 
 
4.  Following-up on the funds for the NCLIS funds have 
not been use for any pariah state activities since the 
contract has not been signed and no payments have been 
processed.  The Mission will continue to follow-up o