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