US embassy cable - 05PARIS5855

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005855 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO 
 
STATE FOR IO/T JANE COWLEY, OES BARRIE RIPIN, OES/STAS 
ANDREW W. REYNOLDS, OES/ETC ELEANORE FOX 
STATE FOR NSC GENE WHITNEY 
STATE FOR NSF INTERNATIONAL OFFICE 
STATE FOR NASA ELIZABETH WILLIAMS 
STATE FOR USAID FRANKLIN MOORE, MARY ROWEN, CHIP BARBER, 
AND MIKE MCGAHUEY 
 
E.O. 12958:     N/A 
TAGS: AORC, TSPL, EAID, SENV, SOCI, UNESCO, KSCI 
SUBJECT:  USUNESCO:  UNESCO TO ORGANIZE JUNE 2006 
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESERTS AND DESERTIFICATION 
FOR UN YEAR 
 
1.  This is a request for guidance, see Para 9. 
 
2.  Summary.  The UN is planning an international 
scientific conference on desertification -- "The Future 
of Dry Lands" -- as part of its International Year of 
Deserts and Desertification.  The conference, organized 
by a UN inter-agency committee chaired by UNESCO, is 
tentatively scheduled for June 19-21, 2006 in Tunisia. 
(For more information on the conference, contact 
Coopernj@state.gov)  Given the strong role of U.S. 
institutions on issues relating to dry lands research, 
UNESCO's secretariat seeks advice on how to coordinate 
U.S. participation in the conference with the U.S. 
National Commission for UNESCO.  End Summary. 
 
 
3. Science Officer met with UNESCO Director of Ecological 
and Earth Sciences Division Natarajan Ishwaran to discuss 
UNESCO's role in next year's International Year of 
Deserts and Desertification.  He noted that the year 
would roughly coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of 
the first-ever UN conference on Dry and Arid Lands -- 
"the International Arid Lands Meetings"  -- that took 
place in Socorro, New Mexico in 1955.  Ishwaran reported 
that UN interagency Preparatory meetings for the 2006 
edition -- entitled "The Future of Dry Lands" -- took 
place in February and May 2005.  The organization 
committee is chaired by UNESCO. 
 
4.  One goal of the conference will be to look back at 
the 1955 meeting, and examine contemporary environmental 
forecasts; the conference will issue a publication taking 
stock of the past 50 years. Of course, the study of 
climate is more focused today, Ishwaran noted.  Looking 
ahead, an objective of the conference will be to review 
the current state of knowledge regarding dry land eco- 
systems, in order to advise policy makers; another goal 
is to identify knowledge gaps in order to promote 
sustainable development.  Ishwaran expressed the hope 
that the findings of the conference would shape a 
proposal for a "time-limited research program" that could 
be incorporated into the upcoming reflection on UNESCO's 
next medium-term strategy  (for 2008-2014; to be launched 
at UNESCO's September 2005 General Conference.) 
 
5.  The desertification conference is tentatively 
scheduled for June 19-21, 2006 in Tunisia, in response to 
the desire of the Sahel states to host.  (In addition, 
the organizers wanted a venue compatible with Israeli 
participation.)  The organizers expect up to 200 
participants, including scientific groups with a dry 
lands focus, decision-makers from arid zones, as well as 
representatives of other interested countries, UN 
agencies, NGOs, and foundations.  According to the report 
of the first prep meeting, "Raising extra-budgetary 
funding for the organization of the meeting will be 
essential." 
 
US Participation Key to Desertification Conference 
 
6.  Ishwaran queried Science Officer on the best means of 
working with the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO in 
organizing U.S. participation in this conference.  It is 
clear, he said, that active U.S. participation is key to 
the success of the conference. 
 
7.  Ishwaran noted that both UNESCO and the U.S. 
scientific community -- including the AAAS and the 
Rockefeller Foundation -- gave strong support to the 1955 
New Mexico conference.  This time around, the University 
of Arizona is a member of the organization community for 
the 2006 Tunisia Conference.    Members of the Scientific 
Committee include Charles Hutchinson (Associate Director 
of the Office of Arid Land Studies (OALS) at the 
University of Arizona), and Jim Weber (Director of the 
U.S.-based International Center for Remote Sensing of the 
Environment).  Ishwaran reported that UNESCO has long 
cooperated with the University of Arizona, including in 
1986 on country updates on dry and arid lands. 
 
8.  Ishwaran told Science Officer that he had had 
informal contacts with the Christensen Family Foundation 
(a U.S. NGO) to discuss the possibility of 50,000 USD in 
funding for the June 2006 conference; this funding could 
take the form of financing the participation of 
delegations from developing countries.  According to 
Ishwaran, The Christensen Foundation is active on dry 
lands issues in Turkey, Central Asia, and the Southwest 
U.S.  Ishwaran asked whether the UNESCO secretariat 
should consult the U.S. National Commission before 
concluding agreements on funding with U.S. private 
sources. 
 
9.  Mission seeks guidance on how to respond to 
Ishwaran's query.  The Division of Ecological and Earth 
Sciences wants to encourage U.S. participation in the 
June 2006 desertification conference.  What is the best 
way for his office to work with the U.S. National 
Commission for UNESCO in coordinating the participation 
of U.S. entities, including funding sources. 
 
OLIVER