US embassy cable - 05PARIS5921

UNCLAS PARIS 005921 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO 
STATE PASS USTR BALASSA 
IO/UNESCO FOR JANE COWLEY 
EUR/ERA FOR PETER CHASE 
L/EUR FOR PETER OLSON 
 
E.O. 12958:     N/A 
TAGS: SCUL, ETRD, EU, CJAN, UNESCO 
SUBJECT:  USUNESCO: GUIDANCE REQUEST: DISCUSSING THE 
PRELIMINARY DRAFT CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION WITH 
EU REPS 
 
REF:  PARIS 5116 
 
1.  (U) As reported ref, the UK Perm Delegate to 
UNESCO, Ambassador Timothy Craddock, suggested that 
USG lawyers meet with lawyers from EU member states 
so that the USG can better understand why the EU 
Member States have concluded that the preliminary 
draft Cultural Diversity Convention does not damage 
the financial and trade interests of EU Member 
States.   Craddock emphasized that this would not be 
a negotiation but an information session that enable 
a better understanding of view. 
 
2.  (U) We have suggested the date of September 16 
and request that US Mission Geneva Senior Legal 
Advisor T. Michael Peay, and an appropriate 
representative of the U.S. Trade Representative's 
Office be part of the team representing the USG. 
 
3. (U)  We see potential value in maybe having the 
Japanese delegation at such a meeting for additional 
leverage value.  A senior lawyer from the Japanese 
foreign ministry will be in Paris on the 16th. 
 
4.  (SBU) We would welcome detailed instructions 
that address a range of procedural and substantive 
issues.  As an initial matter, should the U.S. 
delegation seek to expand the scope of the meeting 
to go beyond the EU's stated premise?  Should we 
seek to inform the EC that, in order to be 
meaningful, the meeting must also address U.S. 
problems with the current text and explore what 
might be possible to convert it to a more consensus- 
based text?  Toward that end, after hearing their 
presentation, should we explore specific, Washington- 
cleared textual revisions that would arguably 
protect both our and their financial/trade 
interests, without calling the discussion a 
"negotiation"?   What should we aim to achieve as 
the desired outcome from the meeting, insofar as 
enhancing protection of U.S. interests over and 
above the current convention text? 
 
5.  (U) We would appreciate Washington's 
consideration of these questions in formulating 
instructions. 
 
Oliver