Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS8353
2005-12-08 17:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

UNESCO: FRENCH CANDIDATE REPORTEDLY HAS LEAD

Tags:  SCUL FR UNESCO 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 008353 

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2015
TAGS: SCUL FR UNESCO
SUBJECT: UNESCO: FRENCH CANDIDATE REPORTEDLY HAS LEAD
FOR POST OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR CULTURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 008353

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2015
TAGS: SCUL FR UNESCO
SUBJECT: UNESCO: FRENCH CANDIDATE REPORTEDLY HAS LEAD
FOR POST OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR CULTURE


1. (C) Classified by Andrew, C. Koss, Charge, U.S.
Mission to Unesco in Paris, reason 1.4 (d).


2. (C) Summary. Corridor rumors place Francoise
Riviere, the French chief of staff to UNESCO Director
General (DG) Matsuura, as the leading candidate among
the 320 applicants to replace retiring Algerian Mounir
Bouchenaki, the skillful and respected Assistant
Director-General (ADG) for Culture. Francisco
Bandarin, the energetic director of the World Heritage
Center, and Katerina Stenou, who heads up the UNESCO
culture section that supported the Cultural Diversity
talks, have also applied for the position. Other
candidates include a Moroccan and a Saudi; some Arab
countries reps are reportedly determined to see the
position go to a national of an Arab country. Iranian
UNESCO Ambassador Jalali may have put his hat in the
race, though this remains unconfirmed and the Iraqi
deputy permanent delegate seeks to be chosen by
acclamation, though he did not submit an application.
An Amcit candidature would likely not be viable, as the
last ADG hired was an American. End summary.


3. (C) Riviere, a capable, experienced and hard-working
announced to colleagues in the DG's office on 24
November that she had submitted her candidacy for the
ADG Culture position. She reportedly said that the ADG
culture position has been a long-time ambition. (She
has a master's degree in nineteenth century French
literature.) Riviere's command of the minutia of the
UNESCO bureaucracy was indispensable to Matsuura when
he arrived six years ago, a staffer reports, but
Matsuura now allows an increasing number of persons who
informally report directly to him - something that
reportedly riles Riviere.


4. (C) The DCM spoke to Katerina Stenou of the
cultural division (see below) on December 2 who told
him that Riviere played a greater behind-the-scenes
role manipulating the cultural diversity convention
than we had previously known by controlling much of the
paperwork and even changing language during the
process. Stenou said that Riviere has also expressed
interest in being named Deputy Director General for
programs if such a position were established and she

could not get the ADG culture job. (Note: There has
been talk about a second DDG job but nothing
substantive so far.) A further option she mentioned
for Riviere was another job in the French government.
(Comment: If Riviere is moved out of UNESCO by the
GOF, it would be a clear indication of who is calling
the shots.)


5. (C) Stenou also mentioned that the French
ambassador met with the DG and told him there needs to
be more French people hired at UNESCO because so many
of the jobs currently filled are at a low (GS) level.
(Comment: A word of warning! If the GOF wants more
senior officials at UNESCO, despite being seriously
over-represented, it could easily be expected that
France will lobby other states hard for Riviere's
candidacy, much as the GOF lobbied hard for the
cultural diversity convention.)


6. (C) Francesco Bandarin, the Italian head of the
World Heritage Center (WHC),has also applied for the
position. The 1972 World Heritage Convention is
UNESCO's flagship convention, and Bandarin, a skilled
fund raiser, projects an image of a dynamic go-getter.
In principle, the World Heritage Center is part of the
Culture Sector, but Bandarin has done his best to give
the WHC a wholly separate image. This has caused some
bruised feelings.


7. (C) In a meeting with Ambassador Oliver on
December 5, Bandarin said that the cultural section
needs a major shake-up of responsibilities and staff.
He also expressed chagrin that the head of the WHC has
little direct access to the DG. He proposed that among
the changes he would seek, if chosen, would be to place
the intangible cultural heritage division with the
world heritage division.


8. (C) Katerina Stenou, one of four section chiefs
who work under Bouchenaki, has also applied. A Greek
national, she heads up the section that provided
administrative support for the Cultural Diversity
Convention. She unsuccessfully tried to hide her
support for the Cultural Diversity Convention
throughout the long negotiation process leading up to
its October 2005 adoption over the strong objections of
the United States. Though Stenou has claimed to be
neutral, she has given a number of speeches supporting
the convention, including a recent speech in Dakar.
Stenou also claimed to have the support of many African
members.


9. (C) Some reps of Arab Group countries are openly
determined to see an Arab national replace the Algerian
Bouchenaki. They might well line up in support of
either the Moroccan or the Saudi. The Moroccan is a
Mr. Touri who formerly served as a member of Morocco's
World Heritage delegation (note: he is apparently known
in Morocco as Mr. Heritage) and currently works for the
Ministry of Culture. Stenou told the DCM that when the
Moroccan ambassador told the DG that the position
should remain in the hands of the Arab group, the DG
purportedly did not agree. The Moroccan ambassador's
position was seconded by the Iraqi deputy who said that
having a European like Riviere serve as ADG was
unthinkable. He too felt that the job should stay
within the Arab group. (Note: There is one other ADG
from the group-the ADG for external relations is from
Yemen.)


10. (C) The Iraqi deputy Chawki Alhamadany has spoken
to both the Ambassador and DCM about his interest in
the position but has not formally applied for the job.
He wants to receive the support of a number of
delegations who he hopes will pressure the DG to take
him for the job. Alhamadany formerly headed the UNESCO
Beirut office where he oversaw a project that
serialized thousands of copies of books in Arab
newspapers. He also claims to be well known in the
Arab world as a writer and poet. When discussing his
candidacy with Katerina Stenou, Stenou told the DCM
that there are rumors of financial improprieties
connected to his tenure in Beirut.


11. (C) Corridor gossip places French national
Riviere in the front-running position, even though it
would be difficult for UNESCO to put a Group One
national (Europe and North America) in a position now
held by a developing country national. (Note. The ADG
for Science is a German and the ADG for Education is an
Amcit. End note.) The DG reportedly would like to
name a woman to the position, as there is now only one
woman (Riviere herself, as Chief of Staff) among the
ranks of the dozen-or-so ADGs in UNESCO.


12. (C) Milagros del Corral, Bouchenaki's deputy in
the Culture sector, told poloff 25 November that it
would be unlikely that an Amcit would be seriously
considered for the ADG Culture position, given that an
American, Peter Smith, was the most recent ADG hire and
that he had only begun his tenure as the ADG in charge
of the Education sector in June 2005. Del Corral
agreed with poloff's observation that it might also be
difficult for the DG to consider an Amcit, given that
the USG had been virtually isolated in its opposition
to the adoption of the Convention on Cultural
Expressions at the October 2005 UNESCO General
Conference.


13. (C) Del Corral, who retires at the end of the
year, said that an Amcit would be ideally suited to
fill her position. In addition to serving as
Bouchenaki's deputy, she heads up the Global Alliance
program, aimed at helping small business specializing
in items particular to the regional cultures to market
their goods. She stressed:

--An American would bring a practical head to the
Global Alliance, which provides practical support for
cultural diversity and would be a welcome relief from
all the theoreticians, she said.
--The DG remained distressed that no compromise could
be found concerning the Cultural Diversity Convention
and was anxious to ensure continuing American
involvement in the culture sector, she noted.

There was no American national in UNESCO appropriate
for the position, she concluded, but she was sure that
there are many Americans who could fill the position
well. (Note: Del Corral's job has not yet been
posted, though she is retiring at the End of the year.
Bouchenaki has delayed his retirement until the end of
February at the request of the DG. End note.)


14. (C) Comment. French national Riviere's candidacy
is worrisome. Under her leadership, the Culture sector
would likely be a loud and effective voice arguing for
member state ratification of the Cultural Diversity
Convention. It would probably also support more state
control of cultural policies in general.

Her strong views, informed by decades of experience in
the UNESCO bureaucracy, would almost certainly not be
tempered by an Amcit deputy, especially one from
outside UNESCO.

Ambassador Oliver met with DG Matsuura on 6 December
and raised her concerns with him about the need to
choose a good ADG for Culture (septel).

KOSS