U.S. CANDIDATE ELECTED TO UNIDROIT GOVERNING

UNCLAS ROME 005629

SIPDIS


FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME

L/PIL FOR HAL BURMAN AND JEFF KOVAR
IO/S FOR LISA JACOBSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC ABUD UNIDROIT
SUBJECT: U.S. CANDIDATE ELECTED TO UNIDROIT GOVERNING
COUNCIL

REF: ROME 4701


1. SUMMARY: THE 57TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTE FOR THE UNIFICATION OF PRIVATE LAW (UNIDROIT) MET
ON NOVEMBER 28. THE PROGRAM OF WORK AND THE BUDGET (AS
APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SEE REF) WERE APPROVED
AND A NEW GOVERNING COUNCIL ELECTED. U.S. CANDIDATE HENRY
DEEB GABRIEL WAS ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL. END SUMMARY.


2. THE 57TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
FOR THE UNIFICATION OF PRIVATE LAW (UNIDROIT) MET ON
NOVEMBER 28 TO CONSIDER THE PROGRAM OF WORK AND BUDGET FOR
THE NEXT YEAR AND TO ELECT A NEW GOVERNING COUNCIL.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM 54 OF THE 56 MEMBER NATIONS ATTENDED
THE ONE-DAY EVENT AT THE ORGANIZATIONS' HEADQUARTERS IN
ROME. THREE FORMAL PRESENTATIONS WERE MADE: ON THE
INSTITUTE'S ACTIVITIES DURING 2003, ITS STRATEGIC PLAN, AND
ON THE CURRENT STATE OF WORK OF THE STUDY GROUP ON
HARMONIZED RULES REGARDING INDIRECTLY HELD SECURITIES. IN
ADDITION, THE BUDGET FOR 2004 (AS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SEE REF) WAS PRESENTED AND ADOPTED.


3. OVERSHADOWING EVERYTHING ELSE WAS THE ELECTION OF THE
NEW GOVERNING COUNCIL, WHICH WILL SERVE FOR THE NEXT FIVE
YEARS. U.S. CANDIDATE HENRY DEEB GABRIEL WAS ONE OF 25 NEW
ELECTEES, RECEIVING 43 VOTES. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH NUMBER
OF NATIONS IN ATTENDANCE AND THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THIS
TERM'S ELECTION, MANY MORE VOTES WERE NEEDED TO SECURE A
SEAT THAN IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS. ONE CANDIDATE (EGYPTIAN)
WHO GARNERED 39 VOTES DID NOT GAIN A SEAT, AND NO CANDIDATE
FROM THE ENTIRE CONTINENT OF AFRICA WAS ELECTED, CAUSING
CONSTERNATION AMONG SEVERAL DELEGATES AND AT LEAST ONE CALL
FOR A RE-VAMPING OF ELECTION BY-LAWS. EUROPEANS CONTINUED
TO DOMINATE THE GOVERNING COUNCIL, SECURING 14 SEATS.


4. MOST AGENDA ITEMS WERE PRESENTED AND ADOPTED WITHOUT
COMMENT. DURING THE DISCUSSION OF ARREARS, FOUR NATIONS
(CHINA, ITALY, MEXICO, URUGUAY) PLEDGED TO SETTLE THEIR
ACCOUNTS SHORTLY. SEVERAL DELEGATIONS, INCLUDING THE U.S.,
MADE INTERVENTIONS DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION. SOME OF
THESE INTERVENTIONS QUESTIONED SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS, BUT
ONLY HALF-HEARTEDLY DUE TO THE RELATIVELY SMALL SIZE OF THE
ORGANIZATION'S BUDGET AS A WHOLE (UNDER USD 2 MILLION
ANNUALLY),COMPARED WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
SIMILAR TO OCTOBER'S FINANCE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION, THE U.S.
INTERVENTION FOCUSED ON THE VALUE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, ON
RESULTS BASED BUDGETING AND THE LINKING OF GOALS WITH
RESOURCES NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.


5. AS A RESULT OF PREVIOUS ENCOURAGEMENT AS WELL AS THE
CONCLUSIONS OF TWO BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS HELD IN THE
SPRING OF 2003, THE SECRETARIAT FORMALLY PRESENTED A
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE FIRST TIME.
ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN INCLUDED A SHORT HISTORY OF UNIDROIT
AND ITS CONSTITUENCIES, AN ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES (AS WELL AS REMEDIES FOR THE
WEAKNESSES) AND IDENTIFICATION OF UNIDROIT'S PRIORITIES AND
OBJECTIVES. COPIES OF THE PLAN HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO
L/PIL AND IO/S.

HALL

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2003ROME05629 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED