US embassy cable - 05PARIS6903

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 006903 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KSCA, SOCI, AMED, KDEM, PGOV, KUNR, VE, IS, FR, UNGA, IRC-3 
SUBJECT: U/S DOBRIANSKY SEEKS COORDINATION WITH FRENCH 
OFFICIALS ON DEMOCRACY PROMOTION, VENEZUELA, IPAPI AND MDA 
 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Karl Hofmann, Reasons 1.4b,d 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  U/S for Democracy and Global Affairs 
Dobriansky met with French MFA Director Jean-Maurice Ripert 
(IO A/S-equivalent) September 30 to discuss democracy 
promotion, the challenge in Venezuela, coordinated action 
against avian flu, and prospects for a solution on use of the 
Israeli MDA emblem.  Ripert voiced concern that any campaign 
to promote democracy could interfere with actions at the UN 
and elsewhere to further codify human rights protections.  He 
recommended the USG find a way to signal that democracy 
promotion was not a substitute for action on human rights. 
Ripert declared France had now earmarked a million euro for 
the UN Democracy Fund, but retained questions about its 
structure.  On Venezuela, South America DAS-equivalent Pinard 
claimed the situation was less dire than usually portrayed 
and that the press was "completely free."  U/S Dobriansky 
pressed the urgency of successfully launching the 
International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza 
(IPAPI) and received assurances that France would send 
representatives to the October 6-7 Senior Officials Meeting 
in Washington.  On Magen David Adom (MDA) membership in the 
ICRC, PDAS-equivalent for Middle East/North Africa Bonnaud 
believed use of the Israeli emblem itself was less 
problematic than continuing negative developments on the 
ground.  Ripert did not expect the Swiss to convene a 
conference on MDA this year.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) U/S Dobriansky met with French MFA IO A/S-equivalent 
Jean-Maurice Ripert on September 30 at a breakfast meeting 
hosted by DCM Hofmann.  The French side also included IO 
PDAS-equivalent Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Human Rights Desk 
Officer Donatienne Hissard, South America DAS-equivalent 
Michel Pinard, Middle East/North Africa PDAS-equivalent 
Gilles Bonnaud, and MFA Health Counselor Frederic Dore. 
Political Counselor Rosenblatt, Science Counselor Robert Dry, 
Senior Adviser Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, and Poloff also 
attended. 
 
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Democracy Promotion 
------------------- 
 
3. (C) Ripert stated that France, like the U.S, viewed 
democracy as the natural guarantor of human rights. 
Nonetheless  Ripert worried that an actual campaign of 
democracy promotion might interfere with other efforts on 
advancing human rights, particularly in those countries where 
progress can be made on human rights but not necessarily on 
democracy in the short term.  Moreover, reforming the 
Commission on Human Rights should be the first order of 
business, he said.  Any campaign to promote democracy 
inevitably carried "political" freight, which could spark 
controversies to the detriment of what France viewed as the 
main objective -- promulgating universal legal instruments 
for the protection of human rights.  "Democracy is of course 
good for human rights, but not on the same level," he opined. 
 
4.  (C) U/S Dobriansky countered with the example of 
democracy promotion in Afghanistan, where the drafting of a 
constitution had engaged actors from all sectors, especially 
women, in the protection of human rights.  Where, she asked, 
would France envision advancing a human rights agenda 
independently of democracy promotion?  China, suggested Quai 
d'Orsay Human Rights desk officer Donatienne Hissard.  For 
Europeans, Hissard claimed, the focus should be on promoting 
rule of law, since democracy is achieved by increments. 
Noting there were cases of democracies failing to protect 
human rights, IO PDAS-equivalent Jean-Pierre Lacroix remarked 
that the European and American approaches might be diverging, 
with Ripert adding that the differences were not just 
tactical.  Agreeing to a universal and legally binding 
instrument to safeguarding the rights of children, for 
instance, was a different goal than that of disseminating 
democratic principles.  Ripert suggested there would be value 
in a message from the USG to the effect that democracy 
promotion did not conflict with the international human 
rights agenda.  He proposed coordinating with Mali, the 
current president of the Community of Democracies (CD). 
 
5.  (C) France had now earmarked 1 million euro to the UN 
Democracy Fund, Ripert declared.  He commented that France 
nonetheless had certain questions about the structure of the 
Fund, which must not be seen "to weaken the UN system." 
(Note: Hissard told Poloff 9/29 there were concerns that the 
terms of reference inadequately take into account the role of 
UNDP and the Commission of Human Rights.)  U/S Dobriansky 
stressed agreement with the arguments made by Ripert at the 
April 2005 meeting of the Community of Democracies in 
Santiago, Chile:  i) the CD is not a substitute for the UN; 
ii) the CD operates as a complement to regional groupings in 
international organizations; iii) the UN Democracy Fund 
should not duplicate functions already in place elsewhere in 
the UN system.  Ripert noted with surprise that a total of 
146 nations actually qualified as democracies to participate 
in the CD. 
 
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Venezuela 
--------- 
 
6.  (C) U/S Dobriansky replied that Venezuela posed a 
particular challenge as a democratically elected government 
that was increasingly undemocratic in its actions. 
Continuing, she urged support for NGOs in Venezuela seeking 
to speak out, greater coordination between EU and Latin 
American countries, and a freeze on sales of arms or 
aircraft.  She expressed concern about prospective military 
aviation sales to the Chavez government and asked about the 
October 20-21 visit by Chavez to France.  South America 
DAS-equivalent Michel Pinard, who served in Caracas from 
1989-1993, was evasive on any French action.  He argued that 
Venezuela was not as dire a situation as portrayed, since 
there was a "completely free" and very active press and no 
signs of repression by Chavez of the media.  Pinard added 
that there were many opponents, too, but there was no 
coherent political opposition.  He stressed the huge 
democratic support for Chavez, his surge in popularity since 
the 1992 coup and his subsequent election, reelection, and 
likely future reelection once again.  "It is difficult to 
talk about resistance of civil society," Pinard said, and 
important to grasp that "Chavez is the symbol of the 
(historically) dominated people." 
 
7.  (C) Pinard described Chavez's persona as "surprising, 
unique probably in South America," distinct from that of 
Uribe, Kirchner, and Lula, "yet so far not crossing the 
boundary to dictatorship."  There was political harassment, 
he admitted, yet there were also large and frequent 
demonstrations.  Chavez nonetheless stood to benefit from 
some "discreet pedagogy" given "without aggression," he said. 
 When pressed, he averred that France would offer such advice 
during Chavez's visit.  Pinard suggested coordinating with 
other South and Latin American leaders, specifically Lula and 
Fox.  Pinard did not address U/S Dobriansky's inquiry about 
possible military aviation sales.  (Note: Pinard told 
PolCounselor he will meet with representatives of the 
Venezuelan NGO Sumate on October 18 in advance of the Chavez 
visit.) 
 
--------- 
Avian Flu 
--------- 
 
 
8.  (SBU) U/S Dobriansky emphasized the need for coordinated 
action to address a possible avian flu pandemic.  She 
welcomed France's involvement in the International 
Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI), 
stressing that its purpose was "to breathe life" into the 
WHO, FAO and OIE in order to obtain needed resources and 
enhance their ability to access countries vulnerable to a 
viral outbreak.  The Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) in 
Washington October 6-7 would in no way supersede 
international organizations or other ongoing avian flu 
preparation activities.  Nor did the U.S. plan, in sponsoring 
this partnership, to create additional structures of 
bureaucracies.  She explained that the partnership's purpose 
should not be limited to human health alone, but needed also 
to address animal health.  She noted that Canada planned to 
host a meeting of health ministers later in October and that 
the WHO would conduct a needs assessment in November to meet 
the challenge of a pandemic, efforts which could only be seen 
as complementary to IPAPI. 
 
7.  (SBU) Director Ripert responded that he knew FM 
Douste-Blazy's strong views on IPAPI.  Douste-Blazy welcomed 
the partnership initiative and would send a delegation to 
Washington for the SOM.  Although the composition of the 
delegation was not set, he expected it might include the 
interministerial coordinator on avian influenza preparedness, 
Dr. Didier Houssein.  Ripert noted that France wants to see 
appropriate support for WHO and OIE.  He said that France has 
already sent doctors and "is bringing" medical supplies to 
the WHO.  In no way did France want to upset "the existing 
dynamics" of these international bodies.  Ripert appreciated 
Dobriansky's assurances that the partnership would not create 
new bureaucracies.  With regard to the SOM itself, Ripert 
said that France would not agree to any statements or 
declarations in advance of the meeting itself.  Such 
statements should reflect the actual discussions undertaken 
and the actions agreed, Ripert said. 
 
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MDA 
---- 
 
8.  (C) U/S Dobriansky noted possible signs of progress in 
resolving Magen David Adom membership in the Red Cross/Red 
Crescent movement, specifically that the Palestinian 
Authority apparently may not oppose the 3rd Protocol.  It was 
important to reinforce the Swiss position that the issue is 
humanitarian and not political, she said.  PDAS-equivalent 
for Middle East/North Africa Bonnaud agreed with U/S 
Dobriansky that the Palestinian attitude was more generally 
"positive"; the deteriorating situation on the ground, not 
the emblem itself, was the greater obstacle to a solution. 
Ripert averred there was a continuing difficulty with the use 
of the MDA emblem without first a settlement of territorial 
disputes; the problem is the use of the MDA emblem in the 
context of an occupation. He doubted the Swiss would convene 
the proposed international conference on the issue at this 
time.  He suggested a compromise might be possible to 
authorize use of the MDA emblem for 5 years in up to 5 
different geographic locations. 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
STAPLETON