GRP WILL SUPPORT U.S. AT MONTREAL PROTOCOL MEETING

UNCLAS MANILA 005790 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR OES/ENV/JTHOMPSON USDOC FOR 4430 ITA/MAC/DBISMEE/KBOYD BANGKOK FOR REO JAMES WALLER STATE PASS USAID FOR JLEWIS STATE PASS DEPT OF INTERIOR FOR USGS JMEDLIN AND GCOAKLEY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV AORC EAGR ETRD PREL PINS EMIN RP SUBJECT: GRP WILL SUPPORT U.S. AT MONTREAL PROTOCOL MEETING REF: A. A) STATE 218123 ¶B. B) MANILA 5457 Sensitive but Unclassified - Protect Accordingly -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Charge met with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Defensor on December 7 and delivered points in ref A. Defensor said he would instruct the GRP's delegation to support approval of a critical use exemption for the United States (26.4 percent) in accordance with the recommendation of the technical committee in the Montreal Protocol. Charge and Defensor also discussed USAID programs and the mining sector. -------------- -------------- SUPPORT FOR U.S. POSITION AT THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL MEETING -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Charge delivered ref A points urging GRP support for critical use exemption for the U.S. as recommended by the technical committee: 26.4 percent of the 1991 U.S. baseline consumption level. Defensor agreed to support this position at the upcoming Montreal Protocol Meetings of the Parties in Dakar. He stated that he would so instruct DENR Director Donna Gordove, the senior DENR representative in the delegation headed to Dakar. ¶3. (SBU) Post is also coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure that the GRP's delegation is unified in its support for our position. The formal head of the GRP delegation will be Charge d'Affaires Bernaditas Muller at the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi. -------------- ILLEGAL LOGGING -------------- ¶4. (U) Defensor said the GRP intends to expand law enforcement activities to combat illegal logging. Charge welcomed Defensor to encourage non-governmental organizations to apply for grants from the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF) to support DENR's initiatives. PTFCF will release its second request for proposals in early 2006. -------------- MINERAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Defensor said DENR will identify funding to support a contract with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a joint mineral resources assessment of the Philippines (ref B) and added, "I'm sure we can get it." Defensor responded favorably to Charge's recommendation that USGS and DENR explore the potential benefits of surveying minerals in cooperation with Geoscience Australia. Although employment and investment in the mining sector increased this year, Defensor acknowledged that potential investors continue to be concerned about the insurgency in Mindanao. Jones