FAO RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON GMO FOOD AID

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 003676

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/EDA HAYMOND AND JOHNSON, EB/KLEMM AND HAUSER
STATE PASS TO USDA FAS WASHDC
OES/ETC FOR DRISCOLL AND FOSTER
USDA FOR FAS/HUGUES, APHIS DUNAHAY
USAID FOR JOSETTE LEWIS
FROM FODAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2007
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 03676 01 OF 02 262053Z
TAGS: AORC ETRD EAGR EAID ETRD EAGR EAID MZ FAO WFP MZAORC FAO WFP
SUBJECT: FAO RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON GMO FOOD AID
REF: A) STATE 139519

B) MAPUTO 1408

CLASSIFIED BY: ALTERNATE PERM REP, LUCY TAMLYN FOR REASONS
1.5 B AND D


1. (C) SUMMARY. FAO DIRECTOR GENERAL DIOUF IS EXPECTED TO
SEND A LETTER TO UN UNDERSECRETARY OSHIMA CORRECTING HIS
PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE AND STATING THAT THE CARTAGENA
PROTOCOL DOES NOT STIPULATE MILLING OF GM COMMODITIES TO
PREVENT PLANTING. COPIES OF THE CORRESPONDENCE SHOULD BE
SENT TO SOUTHERN AFRICAN FAO REPS AS WELL. WHILE FAO
RECOGNIZES THAT IT MADE A FACTUAL ERROR IN THE ORIGINAL
CORRESPONDENCE, THE PRIMARY FAO CONCERN (AS EXPRESSED BY FAO
DEPUTY HARCHARIK) IS THAT IT IS BEING "UNFAIRLY SCAPEGOATED"
IN THIS MATTER. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) ALTERNATE PERM REP AND HUMANITARIAN ATTACHE
DISCUSSED REFTEL (A) DEMARCHE WITH THE FAO'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR
GENERAL, DAVID HARCHARIK, ON MONDAY JULY 22. WE NOTED THAT
THE FAO WAS APPARENTLY PROVIDING INCORRECT RECOMMENDATIONS
BASED ON A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL AND
THAT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE DISASTROUS IMPLICATIONS IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA. HARCHARIK WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE MATTER
BUT PROMISED TO LOOK INTO IT IMMEDIATELY.

THE FAO RESPONSE
--------------
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3. (C) ALTERNATE PERM REP FOLLOWED-UP WITH HARCHARIK BY
PHONE ON 7/23, 7/24 AND 7/25. AS OF THE LAST CONVERSATION,
THE SITUATION IS AS FOLLOWS:

-- THE FAO RECOGNIZES THAT THE LETTER TO UN UNDERSECRETARY
OSHIMA WAS INCORRECT.

-- A NEW LETTER WILL BE TRANSMITTED SHORTLY TO UNDERSECRETARY
OSHIMA. WE UNDERSTAND THE LETTER WILL SAY, IN REFERENCE TO
THE FAO'S PREVIOUS LETTER, THAT THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL DOES
NOT STIPULATE MILLING OR ADVANCE INFORMED AGREEMENT (AIA) FOR
FOOD OR FEED. HOWEVER, (PER HARCHARIK),THE LETTER WILL NOT
SAY THAT "GMO'S ARE SAFE" OR "NOT SAFE" BUT WILL REFER TO THE
PREVIOUS LETTER'S STATEMENT THAT THE "PREVAILING SCIENTIFIC
OPINION IS THAT THEY ARE AS SAFE AS THEIR CONVENTIONAL
COUNTERPARTS." THE LETTER MAY GO OUT LATE TODAY OR TOMORROW
(FRIDAY 7/26).

-- A COPY OF THE LETTER SHOULD BE SENT TO THE FAO COUNTRY
REPRESENTATIVES.

-- ALTHOUGH EXPLICITLY ASKED, HARCHARIK WOULD NOT AGREE TO
SHARE THE NEW LETTER WITH THE MISSION SO WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT
THE EXACT CONTENTS WILL BE. HARCHARIK STATED THAT THE LETTER
HAS BEEN DELAYED IN PART BECAUSE "DIRECTOR GENERAL (DG) DIOUF
WANTS TO ADD SOME OTHER THINGS." (THE DG IS CURRENTLY IN
SENEGAL.)

THE FAO GRIPE
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4. (C) HARCHARIK'S BIGGEST CONCERN, HOWEVER, WAS THAT THE
FAO WAS BEING "SCAPEGOATED" IN THIS AFFAIR. HARCHARIK NOTED
THAT THE ORIGINAL REQUEST FROM OSHIMA WAS FOR UN AGENCY INPUT
IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A COMMON UN POLICY. IN FACT, NO UN POLICY
HAD EMERGED FROM OSHIMA, AND, ACCORDING TO HARCHARIK, "LEAKED
FAO LETTERS" WERE BEING USED TO "UNFAIRLY IDENTIFY FAO AS THE
CULPRIT."

FAO IN THE FIELD (MAPUTO)
--------------


5. (C) ALTERNATE PERM REP RESPONDED THAT THE REAL PROBLEM
WAS NOT WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN NEW YORK, BUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING
IN THE FIELD, AND PARTICULARLY THE ROLE OF THE FAO
REPRESENTATIVES AND THE ADVICE THAT THEY WERE PROVIDING TO
GOVERNMENTS. IN THIS CONNECTION HARCHARIK MENTIONED THAT HE
HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE FAO REP IN MAPUTO, MR. PETER
VANDOR, WHO APPARENTLY "WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HE WAS TO SAY."
HARCHARIK REPORTED THAT HE HAD HAD TOLD VANDOR TO "HOLD OFF,"
BUT ADDED THAT VANDOR HAD ASSURED HIM THAT:

1) THERE WAS SUFFICIENT MILLING CAPACITY IN MOZAMBIQUE AND

2) THAT WFP HAD "DEFERRED" TO THE FAO IN THIS MATTER IN

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CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5366

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ACTION IO-00

INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 COME-00 CTME-00 SRPP-00
EB-00 EUR-00 E-00 TEDE-00 NSCE-00 OES-01 OIC-02
OMB-01 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SAS-00
/004W
-------------- D0DF23 262054Z /21
R 251357Z JUL 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5091
INFO AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY HARARE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
USMISSION GENEVA
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 003676

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/EDA HAYMOND AND JOHNSON, EB/KLEMM AND HAUSER
STATE PASS TO USDA FAS WASHDC
OES/ETC FOR DRISCOLL AND FOSTER
USDA FOR FAS/HUGUES, APHIS DUNAHAY
USAID FOR JOSETTE LEWIS
FROM FODAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2007
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 03676 02 OF 02 262054Z
TAGS: AORC ETRD EAGR EAID ETRD EAGR EAID MZ FAO WFP MZAORC FAO WFP
SUBJECT: FAO RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON GMO FOOD AID

MAPUTO.

WFP ACTION
--------------


6. (C) HUMANITARIAN ATTACHE TIM LAVELLE SPOKE 7/25 WITH THE
WFP'S REGIONAL OFFICER IN JOHANNESBURG (JUDITH LEWIS) WHO WAS
AWARE OF FAO MOZAMBIQUE COUNTRY DIRECTOR PETER VANDOR'S HIGH
VISIBILITY ON THE GM MAIZE ISSUE. LAVELLE QUOTED TO LEWIS
THE WFP'S JUNE 28 LETTER TO OSHIMA ON THIS MATTER WHICH
STATED "THE UN SHOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES PROMOTE THE
IDEA THAT ALL GM COMMODITIES IMPORTED EITHER COMMERCIALLY OR
AS FOOD AID NEED TO BE MILLED. MILLING SHOULD BE TREATED
ONLY AS AN OPTION FOR GOVERNMENTS WHICH PLACE RESTRICTIONS ON
GM FOOD IMPORTS."


7. (C) HUMANITARIAN ATTACHE SUGGESTED THAT THE WFP EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR, JAMES MORRIS CALL FAO DG DIOUF AND RECOMMEND THAT
FAO OFFICERS THROUGH SOUTHERN AFRICA ADOPT A "MUTED" STANCE
ON GM MATTERS.

COMMENT
--------------

8. (C) FODAG BELIEVES THAT THE UN NEEDS TO BE SPEAKING WITH
ONE VOICE ON FOOD AID ISSUES IN THE REGION -- THROUGH THE
WORLD FOOD PROGRAM. IN THIS REGARD WE NOTE THAT THE UNSYG
ANNAN APPOINTED ON JULY 23 WFP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MORRIS AS
HIS SPECIAL ENVOY ON THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN AFRICA.
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TAMLYN

SEMBLER

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2002ROME03676 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL