USUNESCO: COMMENTS ON HIGH LEVEL GROUP

UNCLAS PARIS 007971 SIPDIS FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AID UNESCO UNGA SUBJECT: USUNESCO: COMMENTS ON HIGH LEVEL GROUP COMMUNIQUE DELIVERED REFERENCE: SECSTATE 211945 ¶1. Charge met November 22 with Peter Smith, ADG for Education. Smith made following comments in response to reftel points: -- Within 24 hours there will be two more countries on the Sherpas group: Japan and the US. This will be announced in Beijing but there will be a meeting on Sunday afternoon in Beijing. -- Stated the difficulties of a writing a complex communiqu beginning on Tuesday afternoon - that it's not the way the did it in Gleneagles for the G8 and other major meetings -- Said if there is a problem with coordination then it's up to State Department and USAID to handle that -- Said he shares our concern on the school fees issue and assured us that he will be "personally involved" in the drafting. The DG is concerned as well. -- Said there needs to be some kind of targets - even if no exact figures are used, but there needs to be something to work toward. KOSS