BRAZIL: UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002821 SIPDIS USDOC FOR 4332/ITA/MAC/WH/OLAC/JANDERSEN/ADRISCOLL/MWAR D USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USCS/OIO/WH/RD/DDEVITO/DANDERSON/EOL SON AID/W FOR LAC/SA SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD OPDC PREL UNESCO SUBJECT: BRAZIL: UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION REF: A) STATE 189518, B) 184292, C) BRASILIA 2772 ¶1. (SBU) On October 20, the day of the UNESCO vote on the Cultural Diversity Convention, FCS Deputy Senior Commercial Officer spoke with the Brazilian Ministry of Trade's International Relations Director. Our contact said that upon receiving Secretary Gutierrez's letter, Trade Minister Furlan had tasked four of his Secretariats (DAS equivalents) to study whether the UNESCO Convention would impede trade. Upon reporting back to the Minister, all agreed with the analysis contained in the various USG non-papers/notes. Minister Furlan then called the Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, who informed him that the GOB planned to vote in favor of the Convention at the scheduled vote. Nevertheless, Furlan stated to Gil that he would seek to raise this issue (belatedly) in the GOB's interagency trade meeting the week of October 24. ¶2. (SBU) Finally, our contact thought that it would be helpful if the USG could provide specific statistics and/or a detailed study on how the Convention might impact various industries. DANILOVICH