US embassy cable - 05PARIS7109

UNCLAS PARIS 007109 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
STATE PASS USTR BLISS, MCCOY 
NSC B. WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958:     N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, PREL, SCUL, FR, UNESCO 
SUBJECT:  USUNESCO:  UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY 
CONVENTION-FIRST VOTE TAKEN 
 
REF: A) SANTO DOMINGO 4651; B) MUSCAT 1551; C) KIEV 
 
5672; D) MASERU 0506; E) LA PAZ 03009; F) MONROVIA 
1298; G) MAJURO 504; H) KIGALI 1158; I) YAOUNDE 1788 
 
1. The following is an action request. 
 
2. The UNESCO cultural diversity convention was brought 
before the General Conference cultural commission on 
Oct. 17.  USDEL proposed a set of amendments that were 
voted down by large margins.  The commission then voted 
by 151 to 2 with 2 abstentions to recommend to the 
General Conference plenary that the convention be 
adopted; this will likely take place on Thursday. 
 
3. For Santo Domingo, Muscat, Kiev, Maseru, La Paz and 
Bishkek:  despite embassies' efforts to get support for 
the U.S. position on the convention, delegates from 
these countries voted against the U.S. and insisted 
they had not received new instructions.  Please 
approach proper officials in your capitals again and 
ask them to send instructions to their delegations 
before Thursday instructing them to vote with the U.S. 
 
4. For Monrovia and Majuro:  delegates were not present 
in the room during the discussion and voting.  Please 
ask appropriate officials to instruct their delegates 
to be present during the Thursday plenary and to vote 
against the convention. 
 
5. For Kigali:  despite heavy pressure from regional 
groups and a mob psychology that pervaded the room, 
Rwanda voted for the U.S. amendments and deserves 
special thanks for its brave and principled stance in 
the face of overwhelming support for the convention 
from the Africa group and the Francophonie. 
 
6.  For Yaounde:  ref. I indicated that a decision memo 
would go to the President recommending that Cameroon 
support the U.S. position.  Cameroonian delegate at the 
meeting yesterday strongly supported the convention. 
Please check with host government to make sure that 
their delegate was filing instructions.  Now that 
Rwanda has broken with the Francophonie, there is 
political cover for Yaounde to move to the U.S. 
position. 
 
7. For Manila, Kabul, Seoul, Tel Aviv and Canberra: 
thanks also to these capitals for either voting against 
the convention (Israel), supporting U.S. amendments or 
abstaining despite strong pressure to join the mob. 
 
8. For Tokyo:  we are hugely disappointed that Japan 
not only voted for the convention but voted against all 
U.S. amendments and spoke against our proposed 
amendment to their draft resolution.  (note:  U.S. 
amendment simply added language from the UNESCO 
convention and was defeated.) 
 
OLIVER