US embassy cable - 05PARIS6231

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 006231 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
DEPT FOR IO/UNESCO (COWLEY), IO/PPD (WILBUR) 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 09/08/15 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, ETRD, SCUL, KPAO, UNESCO, EUN 
SUBJECT:  UNESCO: AMBASSADOR'S 9/2 MEETING WITH DG 
MATSUURA 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Louise Oliver, reasons 1.4 (b) 
and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary.  On September 2, Ambassador Oliver met 
with UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura to 
discuss the Convention on Cultural Diversity, a call 
for no new instruments at the upcoming General 
Conference in October, management issues at a UNESCO 
field office in Brazil, oil for food, and the need for 
the new ASG for External Relations to have a 
supervisory role on extra-budgetary funds.  Matsuura 
was receptive to these points.  End Summary. 
 
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CULTURAL DIVERSITY 
------------------ 
 
2. (C) The Ambassador conveyed to Matsuura Washington's 
great concern about the current draft text of the 
Convention on Cultural Diversity and stated that she 
could not overemphasize how strongly Washington felt 
about it.  Disappointment, she predicted, would soon 
stretch beyond the Administration to Capitol Hill, the 
U.S. press and NATCOM.  She noted that Washington had 
heard that several countries had suggested that 
Matsuura was quietly promoting the adoption of the 
current draft text of the Convention on Cultural 
Diversity despite public statements to the contrary. 
She urged him to return to the original instructions of 
the 2003 General Conference asking for a preliminary 
text. 
 
3. (C) Matsuura stated that he had been promoting the 
current draft text of the Cultural Diversity convention 
in terms of asking for a consensus-based document. 
Certain countries, he suggested, may have suggested 
that he was promoting the current draft text in order 
to give their policies cover.  Matsuura added that his 
insistence that the convention be a consensus document 
drew the ire of the French at a meeting with Culture 
Ministers in June.  Although he said that he personally 
had doubts about the convention, he noted that he could 
not recommend the U.S. solution because he must 
represent all 191 UNESCO member states.  He added that 
he was very concerned about the U.S. response and urged 
the U.S. to find other UNESCO members states to support 
its position. 
 
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NO NEW INSTRUMENTS AT GENERAL CONFERENCE 
---------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) The Ambassador told Matsuura that the U.S. would 
be encouraging other countries to join it in calling 
for no new instruments to be introduced at the General 
Conference in October in order to focus exclusively on 
UNESCO's programs for the next two years.  Matsuura 
responded that he had recently intercepted a proposal 
to put educational guidelines on track for an 
instrument, but that he could not stop the 
consideration of another instrument under discussion 
regarding the International Charter on Traditional 
Games and Sports because he must report on this at the 
Executive Board in September.  The Ambassador countered 
that his report should discourage the idea of more 
instruments in the next biennium.  She urged Matsuura 
to focus on improving the quality of UNESCO programs, 
especially ones like the Literacy Program that need a 
great deal of work, and added that U.S. comments and 
recommendations be incorporated into UNESCO's literary 
initiative. 
 
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MANAGMENT ISSUES AT UNESCO OFFICE IN BRAZIL 
------------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) The Ambassador and Matsuura discussed possible 
mismanagement at a UNESCO field office in Brazil.  The 
Ambassador stated that UNESCO must not be part of any 
cover-up.  It was critical, she noted, that UNESCO 
field offices be beyond suspicion and fully accountable 
in order for decentralization to succeed at UNESCO. 
Matsuura agreed with the Ambassador, and added that he 
is sending staff to investigate the possible 
mismanagement of social security at the office.  He has 
also cancelled the head of the office's contract. 
 
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OIL FOR FOOD 
------------ 
 
6. (C) The Ambassador asked Matsuura about the Volker 
report's finding that UNESCO was one of the 9 
organizations possessing leftover oil-for-food funds. 
Matsuura responded that UNESCO had already paid back 
the funds, which totaled two million USD.  He added 
that UNESCO was the first organization to repay. 
 
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NEW ASG FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS 
------------------------------ 
7. (C) The Ambassador and Matsuura discussed the new 
ASG for External Relations, Amcit Jim Kulikowski, and 
his responsibilities.  The Ambassador urged Matsuura to 
clarify Kulikowski's responsibilities in the area of 
extra budgetary funds.  Adding this to Kulikowski's 
portfolio, she added, would make it easier to raise 
public and private extra budgetary funds.  Matsuura 
stated that he would make sure that Kulikowski would 
take on these responsibilities. 
 
Oliver