US embassy cable - 05PARIS6813

UNCLAS PARIS 006813 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO 
IO/UNESCO FOR JANE COWLEY 
EUR/ERA FOR PETER CHASE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2011 
TAGS: SCUL, ETRD, EU, CJAN, FR, UNESCO 
SUBJECT: UNESCO:  CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION: 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL MATSUURA STILL WANTS A CONSENSUS 
AGREEMENT 
 
REF STATE 179138 
 
1.  Ambassador Oliver met September 28 with UNESCO 
Director General Matsuura and delivered points reftel. 
Matsuura responded that he continued to hope that a 
consensus document would emerge that could be adopted 
at the October 2005 General Conference.  He told 
Ambassador Oliver that he had suggested to the Mexican 
Chair of the Culture Commission that the Chair convene 
small working groups of key people whose efforts to 
find compromise would perhaps be in parallel with other 
efforts.  The Mexican Chair, he reported, seemed to 
take the suggestion on board.  He also said that he had 
had some discussion with several ambassadors, stressing 
that he still wants a consensus document. 
 
2.  Ambassador Oliver later discussed the DG's proposal 
with the British ambassador (current EU president) 
stressing the extremely serious concerns of senior 
levels of the US Government.  The UK Ambassador replied 
that there is no possibility of any action at UNESCO 
since the positions of delegations at UNESCO are firm. 
He said that the only place in which the situation 
could be changed is in capitals. 
 
3.  Separately, Ambassador Oliver met on 28 September 
with the African Group.  Her message of the need to 
look at the Convention in light of U.S. commitment to 
UNESCO's programs was well received.  She appealed to 
them to try to understand that the US has a different 
philosophy than many of the countries at UNESCO.  She 
emphasized that the US tries to avoid top-down 
directives, like legal instruments, in favor of bottom- 
up activities by local community and civil society. 
She also thanked them for supporting the USD 610 
million budget and asked for their support for the US 
in the World Heritage Committee and International 
Hydrological Program elections.  The main purpose of 
the meeting was to lay the groundwork for further 
initiatives and demarches both at UNESCO and in 
capitals on the Convention.  (Note:  The Beninese 
deputy told the DCM today that the Ambassador totally 
disarmed the attendees and has provoked some Africa 
group members to think about their positions.) 
 
OLIVER