NETHERLANDS: UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002584 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNESCO JANE COWLEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2015 TAGS: SCUL ETRD NL UNESCO SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS REF: A) SECSTATE 170909 B) PARIS 05990 Classified By: POLCOUNS ANDREW SCHOFER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) On September 21, POLOFF delivered ref A points to Monique Korzelius, Deputy Head of the International Cultural Policy Division at the Dutch MFA. ¶2. (C) Korzelius confirmed, per ref B, that the Dutch endorse the EU's position advocating passage of the draft Convention. She said she was surprised at the cultural emphasis of the concerns articulated in ref A points, and expressed skepticism regarding the motive for the demarche. POLOFF stressed that the vague language of the Convention made it susceptible to abuse. Korzelius, however, made clear that she -- like the UNESCO delegates described in ref B -- was not seriously disturbed by this possibility. BLAKEMAN