UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION: FRANCE CALLS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 006080

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS
STATE PASS USTR BALASSA
IO/UNESCO FOR JANE COWLEY
EUR/ERA FOR PETER CHASE
L/EUR FOR PETER OLSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL ETRD EU CJAN FR UNESCO
SUBJECT: UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION: FRANCE CALLS
ON THE WORLT TRADE ORGANIZATION TO STAY OUT OF THE DEBATE.

REF: PARIS 5990


1. Summary. Agence France Press (AFP) reported that during
a September 5 meeting with new WTO chief Pascal Lamy, the
GOF Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres said
Sept. 5 that the WTO should not interfere in CD matter. The
AFP report says that de Vabres quoted Lamy as saying that
WTO will not take a position, as there is no consensus in
the WTO. End summary.


2. The following is a translation in substance of an AFP
report of a September 5 meeting between the French Minister
of Culture, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, and new WTO Chief
Pascal Lamy. The original French text appears in para 4.


3. Begin Translation in substance.

Agence France Press

Cultural Diversity: France calls on the World Trade
Organization to stay out of the debate.

Geneva, 5 September (AFP) The French minister of Culture,
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, on Monday (September 5),called
on the World Trade Organization to stay outside the current
debate within UNESCO about putting into place ("mettre en
place") a convention on cultural diversity.

The WTO has not imposed particular rules in the preparation
of the document elaborated by UNESCO, declared the French
Minister to the press after a meeting in Geneva with the new
Director General of the WTO, Pascal Lamy.

UNESCO must debate at the end of October the putting in
place of a convention about cultural diversity, which
proclaims the specificity of cultural items in comparison to
the rules of normal commerce.

The francophone countries are ardent partisans of this
convention, which is opposed by countries like the United
States, Japan, Israel and Australia.

The concept of cultural diversity, recognized as a principle
by the majority of the countries of the world, is applicable
to each country and to each international organization,
opined Mr. Donnedieu de Vabres.

The wish of states is expressed within UNESCO for the
putting into effect ("mise en oeuvre") of this Convention on
cultural diversity. No other organization will interfere
with that wish, he affirmed.

The new head of the WTO, Francais, Pascal Lamy, told Mr.
Donnedieu de Vabres that there was no consensus on the
question of cultural diversity among the 148 members of the
WTO and that he was therefore not able to take a position on
that subject, he indicated at the headquarters of the
organization based in Geneva.

Last year, UNESCO had asked several international
organizations, including the WTO, to communicate their point
of view concerning the draft Convention. Because of an
absence of consensus within its membership, the WTO was not
able to respond to the UNESCO demand.

End translation in substance.


4. Following is the original French text.

OMC-France-Unesco
Diversit culturelle: la France appelle l'OMC rester en
dehors du dbat

GENEVE, 5 sept 2005 (AFP) - Le ministre franais de la
Culture, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, a appel lundi
l'Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC) rester en dehors
du dbat en cours l'Unesco sur la mise en place d'une
convention sur la diversit culturelle.
"L'OMC n'a pas imposer de rgles particulires la
prparation de ce document labor par l'Unesco", a dclar
le ministre franais la presse aprs une rencontre
Genve avec le nouveau directeur gnral de l'OMC, Pascal
Lamy.
L'organisation des Nations Unies pour l'ducation, la
science et la culture
a
science et la culture
(Unesco) doit dbattre fin octobre de la mise en place d'une
convention sur la diversit culturelle, qui proclamerait la
spcificit des biens culturels par rapport aux rgles
commerciales normales.
Les pays francophones sont d'ardents partisans de cette
convention laquelle s'opposent des pays comme les Etats-
Unis, le Japon, Isral ou l'Australie.
"Ce concept de la diversit culturelle, reconnu comme un
principe par la plupart des pays du monde, s'applique
chaque Etat et chaque organisation internationale", a
estim M. Donnedieu de Vabres.
"La volont des Etats s'exprime au sein de l'Unesco pour
la mise en oeuvre de cette convention sur la diversit
culturelle. Aucune autre organisation internationale
n'interfrera avec cette volont", a-t-il affirm.
Le nouveau patron de l'OMC, le Franais Pascal Lamy, a
dclar M.
Donnedieu de Vabres qu'il n'y avait pas de consensus sur la
question de la diversit culturelle parmi les 148 membres de
les 148 membres de
l'OMC et qu'il ne pouvait donc pas prendre position ce
sujet, a-t-on indiqu au sige de l'organisation base
Genve.
L'an dernier, l'Unesco avait demand plusieurs
organisations internationales, dont l'OMC, de lui
communiquer leur point de vue sur le projet de convention.
Faute de consensus en son sein, l'OMC n'avait pas pu
rpondre la demande de l'Unesco.


5. Comment. As reported ref, GOF Presidential and
Ministerial public support for the UNESCO preliminary draft
Convention on cultural diversity has long been backed up by
strong GOF and EU demarches in capitals and monetary support
for events in developing countries. The GOF meeting with
brand-new WTO chief Pascal Lamy exemplifies the level and
strength of its diplomatic interventions urging adoption of
the preliminary draft Cultural Diversity Convention.

Oliver


Oliver