USUNESCO: UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY

UNCLAS PARIS 007109 SIPDIS FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS STATE PASS USTR BLISS, MCCOY NSC B. WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD PREL SCUL FR UNESCO SUBJECT: USUNESCO: UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION-FIRST VOTE TAKEN REF: A) SANTO DOMINGO 4651; B) MUSCAT 1551; C) KIEV 5672; D) MASERU 0506; E) LA PAZ 03009; F) MONROVIA 1298; G) MAJURO 504; H) KIGALI 1158; I) YAOUNDE 1788 ¶1. The following is an action request. ¶2. The UNESCO cultural diversity convention was brought before the General Conference cultural commission on Oct. 17. USDEL proposed a set of amendments that were voted down by large margins. The commission then voted by 151 to 2 with 2 abstentions to recommend to the General Conference plenary that the convention be adopted; this will likely take place on Thursday. ¶3. For Santo Domingo, Muscat, Kiev, Maseru, La Paz and Bishkek: despite embassies' efforts to get support for the U.S. position on the convention, delegates from these countries voted against the U.S. and insisted they had not received new instructions. Please approach proper officials in your capitals again and ask them to send instructions to their delegations before Thursday instructing them to vote with the U.S. ¶4. For Monrovia and Majuro: delegates were not present in the room during the discussion and voting. Please ask appropriate officials to instruct their delegates to be present during the Thursday plenary and to vote against the convention. ¶5. For Kigali: despite heavy pressure from regional groups and a mob psychology that pervaded the room, Rwanda voted for the U.S. amendments and deserves special thanks for its brave and principled stance in the face of overwhelming support for the convention from the Africa group and the Francophonie. ¶6. For Yaounde: ref. I indicated that a decision memo would go to the President recommending that Cameroon support the U.S. position. Cameroonian delegate at the meeting yesterday strongly supported the convention. Please check with host government to make sure that their delegate was filing instructions. Now that Rwanda has broken with the Francophonie, there is political cover for Yaounde to move to the U.S. position. ¶7. For Manila, Kabul, Seoul, Tel Aviv and Canberra: thanks also to these capitals for either voting against the convention (Israel),supporting U.S. amendments or abstaining despite strong pressure to join the mob. ¶8. For Tokyo: we are hugely disappointed that Japan not only voted for the convention but voted against all U.S. amendments and spoke against our proposed amendment to their draft resolution. (note: U.S. amendment simply added language from the UNESCO convention and was defeated.) OLIVER