UNCLAS PARIS 008192

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO DOUGLAS ROHN, IO/S, L/UNA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ABUD UNESCO KSI
SUBJECT: USUNESCO: GUIDANCE REQUEST ON FUNDING
STIPULATIONS REGARDING PARIAH STATES

REF: 2004 211901


1. This is an urgent guidance request, see paragraph
three.


2. The director of UNESCO's Division of Basic and
Engineering Sciences, Maciej Nalecz, has asked via a
letter to Ambassador Oliver if U.S. International
Contributions for Scientific, Educational, and
Cultural Activities (ICSECA) funds provided to the
International Council for Science (ICSU) for FY 04 are
exonerated from restrictions concerning the use of
U.S. funding (text of letter in paragraph 4).
Nalezc's letter notes that that U.S. funding provided
to UNESCO was given with the proviso that funds not be
used for programs and activities in Libya, Iran, Cuba,
Burma, the Democratic Republic of Korea, Syria, and
the PLO, or projects whose purpose is to provide
benefits to the PLO or entities associated with it; in
his letter, Nalecz notes that he is relaying a request
for a waiver of this proviso from ICSU. Note: In
2004, the State Department asked UNESCO to transfer
270,000 USD in ICSECA funds to ICSU to promote its
priority themes (reftel). End note.



3. Mission requests guidance on an urgent basis as to
whether U.S. funds transmitted via ICSU can be
exonerated from the restrictions concerning the use of
USG funds, including using them to provide support to
institutions or staff of institutions located in
countries listed in para 2 to take part in activities
outside these country.


4. Text of letter: Madam, I am writing concerning the
extra-budgetary contributions the US Government
generously provided to UNESCO in 2004 and, more
particularly, the provisio laid down in the letter
from the State Department that none of the funds from
the US proportionate share be used for programmes and
activities in Libya, Iran, Cuba, Burma, the Democratic
Republic of Korea, Syria and the PLO, or projects
whose purpose is to provide benefits to the PLO or to
entities associated with it.

The Executive Director of ICSU has informed us that
the independent, non-governmental status of ICSU makes
it regrettable that UNESCO's involvement as a conduit
for these funds should result in limitations such as
these, and has indicated that when ICSU received US
funds via the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) it
was tied down to no such restrictions.

I should be grateful if you would inform me whether
ICSU is exonerated from the restrictions concerning
the use of your Government's funds, including using
them to provide support to institutions or staff of
institutions in the above-mentioned countries to take
part in activities outside their country.

Accept, Madam, the assurances of my highest
consideration. End text of letter.

OLIVER