US embassy cable - 03ROME1558

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001558 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS FOR UNESCO 
STATE FOR IO/EDA SHARON KOTOK, SETH WINNICK 
USDA/FAS LYNN REICH, DICK HUGHES 
MEXICO CITY FOR BRAKEL 
 
FROM FODAG 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: AORC, KUNR, FAO, KUNR AORC, FAO 
SUBJECT:  FAO TERM LIMITS: AGREEMENT ON 10 YEAR MAXIMUM AND 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
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NO TRANSITION MEASURES 
 
REF:  A) ROME 822, B) SECSTATE 68986 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR ON UN FOOD AND 
AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO) DIRECTOR GENERAL TERM LIMITS 
HELD ITS FIFTH AND FINAL SESSION MARCH 29.  THE GROUP AGREED 
AD REFERENDUM TO A PROPOSAL TO LIMIT TO TWO THE NUMBER OF 
TERMS THAT A DIRECTOR GENERAL COULD SERVE, WITH THE FIRST 
TERM BEING SIX YEARS, AND ANY SECOND TERM BEING FOUR YEARS. 
THE GROUP AGREED THAT THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE SILENT 
CONCERNING THE INCUMBENT.  ONCE APPROVED BY THE JUNE SESSION 
OF THE FAO COUNCIL, THE PROPOSAL WILL GO FORWARD TO THE 
NOVEMBER 2003 FAO CONFERENCE FOR FINAL ADOPTION. AS THE 
PROPOSAL IS NOT RETROACTIVE, THERE IS NO LEGAL BAR TO THE 
CURRENT DIRECTOR GENERAL RUNNING AGAIN.  HOWEVER, THE FIVE 
SESSIONS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR PROVIDED AMPLE 
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MAJOR DONORS TO MAKE CLEAR THAT, WERE HE 
TO DO SO, HE WOULD NOT ENJOY THE SUPPORT OF THOSE COUNTRIES 
WHICH FUND THE LION'S SHARE OF THE FAO'S BUDGET. IT ALSO 
SENT A CLEAR SIGNAL TO OTHER REGIONS WITH AN INTEREST IN THE 
POSITION THAT NEW LEADERSHIP IS AVIDLY SOUGHT. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.   THE FOURTH AND FIFTH SESSIONS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE 
CHAIR ON FAO DIRECTOR GENERAL (DG) TERM LIMITS MET MARCH 17 
AND MARCH 29.  THE INDEPENDENT CHAIR OF FAO COUNCIL, 
AMBASSADOR MEKOUAR (MOROCCO), CHAIRED THE FOURTH SESSION BY 
VIDEO-CONFERENCE, AND THE FIFTH AND FINAL SESSION IN PERSON. 
 
FOURTH SESSION 
---------------- 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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3.  THE FOURTH SESSION WAS DEVOTED TO INCONCLUSIVE 
DISCUSSION OF LENGTH OF TERM AND THE QUESTION OF TRANSITION 
MEASURES.  THE G-77 RALLIED AROUND A SIX-YEAR TERM AND THE 
OECD MEMBERS REITERATED SUPPORT FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM.  ON 
TRANSITION MEASURES, THE U.S., NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA 
ARGUED FOR A SPECIFIC PROHIBITION ON THE INCUMBENT RUNNING 
AGAIN.  THE EU PUT FORWARD ITS PROPOSAL THAT THE DG BE 
ALLOWED TO RUN FOR ONE MORE TERM ONLY.  THE AFRICAN GROUP 
RESPONDED INDIGNANTLY THAT THEY WOULD NOT "NEGOTIATE THE 
RIGHTS OF THE DG" TO RUN AGAIN. 
 
4.  BRAZIL STATED SPECIFICALLY THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO 
REFERENCE TO THE INCUMBENT IN THE PROPOSAL.  THE FAO LEGAL 
ADVISER RECONFIRMED THAT SILENCE ON WHAT HAD BEEN CALLED 
"TRANSITION" MEASURES WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD TO MEAN THAT THE 
CURRENT DIRECTOR GENERAL WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED RETROACTIVELY 
BY THE AMENDMENT TO THE BASIC TEXTS, AND THEREFORE COULD RUN 
AGAIN AND BE TREATED ON THE SAME BASIS AS OTHER CANDIDATES. 
AMBASSADOR MEKOUAR SUMMARIZED THAT IF THE CHANGE TO THE 
BASIC TEXTS WAS "NOT DIRECTED AT THE CURRENT INCUMBENT" THEN 
PERHAPS THE CURRENT INCUMBENT SHOULD NOT BE MENTIONED AT 
ALL. 
 
FIFTH SESSION 
------------- 
 
5.  THE FIFTH AND FINAL SESSION OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR 
MET SATURDAY, MARCH 27.  ALL MEMBERS AGREED THAT THERE 
SHOULD BE A TWO TERM MAXIMUM.  ON LENGTH OF TERM, MEMBERS 
RESTATED POSITIONS: G-77: 6 PLUS 6, OECD: 4 PLUS 4.  THE 
U.S., CANADA AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA STATED THAT THEY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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COULD ALSO CONSIDER A 10 YEAR MAXIMUM.  THE AFRICAN GROUP 
LEADER STATED CATEGORICALLY THAT SHE "WOULD NOT TAKE BACK 
THE FOUR YEAR OPTION" TO HER GROUP.  BRAZIL STRONGLY URGED 
FOR 6 PLUS 6, ARGUING THAT 6 PLUS 4 INTRODUCED AN 
INAPPROPRIATE "POLITICAL ELEMENT" TO THE DISCUSSION AS IT 
PLACED AN INCUMBENT ON DIFFERENT TERMS FROM NEW CANDIDATES. 
 
6.  LEAVING THE LENGTH OF TERM ASIDE, AMBASSADOR MEKOUAR 
TURNED THE GROUP TO DISCUSSION OF "TRANSITION MEASURES." 
THE EU RESTATED ITS POSITION OF ALLOWING THE INCUMBENT TO 
RUN FOR ONE TERM ONLY, BUT ADDED THAT IT COULD ALSO SUPPORT 
SILENCE ON TRANSITION MEASURES.  OTHER OECD MEMBERS STATED 
THAT THEY COULD ACCEPT SILENCE AND THE G-77 AGREED AS WELL, 
NOTING THAT THE IMPORTANT ISSUE WAS NOT TO "DISCRIMINATE 
AMONG CANDIDATES IN ANY WAY." 
 
7.  TURNING BACK TO LENGTH OF TERM, AMBASSADOR MEKOUAR ASKED 
IF MEMBERS COULD SUPPORT TWO TERMS, THE FIRST BEING SIX 
YEARS, AND THE SECOND FOUR.  THE GROUP AGREED TO THE 
PROPOSAL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AUSTRALIA, WHO NOTED THAT 
THE DECISIONS WAS AD REFERENDUM AND HE WOULD NEED TO CONSULT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ0036 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01558  02 OF 02  111415Z 
ACTION IO-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  INL-00   WHA-00   EB-00 
      EUR-00   UTED-00  FDRE-01  TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   L-00 
      NSAE-00  OES-00   OIC-02   SS-00    TEST-00  DRL-01   SAS-00 
        /005W 
                  ------------------54589A  111439Z /38 
R 111410Z APR 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9220 
INFO USDA FAS WASHDC 2614 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
USEU BRUSSELS 3192 
AMEMBASSY MEXICO 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001558 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS FOR UNESCO 
STATE FOR IO/EDA SHARON KOTOK, SETH WINNICK 
USDA/FAS LYNN REICH, DICK HUGHES 
MEXICO CITY FOR BRAKEL 
 
FROM FODAG 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS:  AORC, FAO, KUNR 
SUBJECT:  FAO TERM LIMITS: AGREEMENT ON 10 YEAR MAXIMUM AND 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01558  02 OF 02  111415Z 
NO TRANSITION MEASURES 
 
HIS CAPITAL AS HIS INSTRUCTIONS ONLY WENT SO FAR AS 
SUPPORTING A TERM OF FOUR YEARS (RENEWABLE ONCE). 
 
ON TO COUNCIL 
------------- 
8.  THE REPORT OF THE FRIENDS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE 124TH 
SESSION OF COUNCIL (JUNE 24-28).  IF APPROVED IT WILL BE 
SENT TO THE FAO COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL 
MATTERS FOR A LEGAL SCRUB AND THEN ON TO THE NOVEMBER 2003 
CONFERENCE.  ONCE ADOPTED BY CONFERENCE, IT WILL BE "APPLIED 
FROM THE THIRTY-THIRD SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE IN 2005" 
(PER THE 123RD COUNCIL DECISION).  THE ELECTIONS FOR 
DIRECTOR GENERAL WILL BE AT THE CONFERENCE SESSION IN 
NOVEMBER 2005. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
9.  THE OUTCOME DOES NOT BAR THE CURRENT DG FROM RUNNING 
AGAIN, OR LIMIT ANY RUN TO JUST ONE TERM (AS THE EU HAD 
INITIALLY HOPED).  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE SUCCESSFULLY 
AVOIDED ANY ENDORSEMENT, IMPLICIT OR OTHERWISE, OF THE DG'S 
CANDIDACY SHOULD HE RUN AGAIN.  IN ADDITION, THE FIVE 
SESSIONS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR PROVIDED AMPLE 
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MAJOR DONORS TO MAKE CLEAR THAT, WERE 
THE DIRECTOR GENERAL RUN AGAIN, HE WOULD NOT ENJOY THE 
SUPPORT OF THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH FUND THE LION'S SHARE OF 
THE FAO'S BUDGET.  IT ALSO SENT A CLEAR SIGNAL TO OTHER 
REGIONS WITH AN INTEREST IN THE POSITION THAT NEW LEADERSHIP 
IS AVIDLY SOUGHT.  HALL 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2003ROME01558 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED