US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA9001

UNCLAS BOGOTA 009001 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNESCO JANE COWLEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL, ETRD, CO, UNESCO 
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA IN NO HURRY TO APPROVE UNESCO CULTURAL 
CONVENTION 
 
REF: STATE 170909 
 
1.  (U) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to newly-arrived 
Colombian Coordinator for UNESCO in MFA's Multilateral 
Affairs office, Ambassador Carlos Gamba, on September 22. 
Poloff stressed U.S. concerns regarding the draft 
Convention's potential for misinterpretation and encouraged 
the GOC to work with others to create a true consensus draft. 
 Poloff also emphasized that there should be no hurry to 
approve the draft Convention during the three-week UNESCO 
General Conference in October. 
 
2.  (U) According to Gamba, who took up his post two weeks 
ago, the GOC is in favor of the Convention, but is in no 
hurry to act on it in October.  Gamba said the GOC's goal was 
to sign the Convention within the next two years.  He agreed 
that there was still much negotiating to be done, but was 
hopeful that consensus could be reached during the General 
Conference.  Gamba said that his office, working with the 
Ministry of Culture, would write the instructions for the 
Colombian Mission to UNESCO.  He plans to participate in the 
General Conference as well.  Gamba asked for any specific 
alternative language the U.S. proposes. 
 
3.  (SBU) Comment: While Gamba agreed that adopting the 
Convention in October would be premature, he did not share 
U.S. concerns.  He claimed that there was little chance that 
any Latin American government would use the Convention to 
limit free expression or access to information.  Foreign 
Minister Barco and Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs 
Giron are in New York for the UNGA and will return to Bogota 
over the weekend.  End Comment. 
WOOD