DEMARCHES ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND THE UNGA

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 002101 SIPDIS SENSITIVE WHA/CEN EB FOR JGARBER, WCRAFT, BLAMPRON, JSHANNON E FOR DEDWARDS WHA/EPSC FOR KURS, LGUMBINER USDA/FAS FOR EAUTRY STATE PASS TO USAID FOR DSKORIC, LWITTE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECIN EAID EAIR EFIN PREL UNGA SUBJECT: DEMARCHES ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND THE UNGA REF: (A) SECSTATE 160880 (B) SECSTATE 162146 ¶1. (U) Econoff delivered nonpapers (Refs A and B) to Edwin Arias, Deputy Director for Foreign Policy in the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),and discussed the issues with Ronald Obaldia and Rolando Madrigal from the MFA on September 8, 2005. The representatives of MFA understood our positions and stated that they had shared the information with the appropriate personnel, including their team at the United Nations, and that they have not yet formulated official responses on these issues. ¶2. (SBU) With respect to the proposal by Algeria, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, and Spain regarding innovative sources of financing for development, Ronald Obaldia stated that reducing poverty is a subject very important to the GOCR and is a top priority. While not officially saying the GOCR supported the six-country proposal, the MFA representatives did not express opposition to implementing a numerical goal for a country's official development assistance. While discussing this issue, Obaldia mentioned several times that he remembered when ex-Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez wanted the goal to be 1.0 percent of GDP (instead of the 0.7 percent in the proposal by the six countries). ¶3. (SBU) The MFA representatives did say that they would not be inclined to support a tax on airline tickets because it could have an adverse impact on Costa Rica's tourism industry, and because of potential problems with existing international agreements. FRISBIE