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