US embassy cable - 05PARIS8192

UNCLAS PARIS 008192 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO DOUGLAS ROHN, IO/S, L/UNA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ABUD, UNESCO, KSI 
SUBJECT: USUNESCO: GUIDANCE REQUEST ON FUNDING 
STIPULATIONS REGARDING PARIAH STATES 
 
REF: 2004 211901 
 
1. This is an urgent guidance request, see paragraph 
three. 
 
2. The director of UNESCO's Division of Basic and 
Engineering Sciences, Maciej Nalecz, has asked via a 
letter to Ambassador Oliver if U.S. International 
Contributions for Scientific, Educational, and 
Cultural Activities (ICSECA) funds provided to the 
International Council for Science (ICSU) for FY 04 are 
exonerated from restrictions concerning the use of 
U.S. funding (text of letter in paragraph 4). 
Nalezc's letter notes that that U.S. funding provided 
to UNESCO was given with the proviso that funds not be 
used for programs and activities in Libya, Iran, Cuba, 
Burma, the Democratic Republic of Korea, Syria, and 
the PLO, or projects whose purpose is to provide 
benefits to the PLO or entities associated with it; in 
his letter, Nalecz notes that he is relaying a request 
for a waiver of this proviso  from ICSU.  Note: In 
2004, the State Department asked UNESCO to transfer 
270,000 USD in ICSECA funds to ICSU to promote its 
priority themes (reftel).  End note. 
 
 
3.  Mission requests guidance on an urgent basis as to 
whether U.S. funds transmitted via ICSU can be 
exonerated from the restrictions concerning the use of 
USG funds, including using them to provide support to 
institutions or staff of institutions located in 
countries listed in para 2 to take part in activities 
outside these country. 
 
4. Text of letter:  Madam, I am writing concerning the 
extra-budgetary contributions the US Government 
generously provided to UNESCO in 2004 and, more 
particularly, the provisio laid down in the letter 
from the State Department that none of the funds from 
the US proportionate share be used for programmes and 
activities in Libya, Iran, Cuba, Burma, the Democratic 
Republic of Korea, Syria and the PLO, or projects 
whose purpose is to provide benefits to the PLO or to 
entities associated with it. 
 
The Executive Director of ICSU has informed us that 
the independent, non-governmental status of ICSU makes 
it regrettable that UNESCO's involvement as a conduit 
for these funds should result in limitations such as 
these, and has indicated that when ICSU received US 
funds via the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) it 
was tied down to no such restrictions. 
 
I should be grateful if you would inform me whether 
ICSU is exonerated from the restrictions concerning 
the use of your Government's funds, including using 
them to provide support to institutions or staff of 
institutions in the above-mentioned countries to take 
part in activities outside their country. 
 
Accept, Madam, the assurances of my highest 
consideration.  End text of letter. 
 
OLIVER