Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA3246
2005-09-29 15:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA ON UNESCO CONVENTION ON
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS VIENNA 003246
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - CROWLEY AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL ETRD AU UNESCO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA ON UNESCO CONVENTION ON
CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS
REF: STATE 170909
This cable is Sensitive but Unclassified. Please treat
accordingly.
UNCLAS VIENNA 003246
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - CROWLEY AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL ETRD AU UNESCO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA ON UNESCO CONVENTION ON
CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS
REF: STATE 170909
This cable is Sensitive but Unclassified. Please treat
accordingly.
1. (SBU) Economic-Political Counselor delivered reftel
demarche to Ilona Hoyos, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's head
of UNESCO affairs. We reviewed U.S. concerns about the text
of the preliminary draft convention on the protection and
promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, and urged
Austria to support our position that the draft remain open
for futher negotiation.
2. (SBU) Hoyos said she participated in the last two
negotiating rounds on the document. She had found
discussions with the U.S. delegation to e "very fruitful."
That said, with the exception of some minor textual changes
which Austria has distributed in capitals, Austria considered
the current draft to be the best outcome that such a large
group of countries could achieve. There is both
parliamentary and governmental support for the draft text in
Austria, she added.
3. (SBU) Hoyos argued that there were many international
legal mechanisms to safeguard culture, but UNESCO properly
took on the task of developing "something readable." In the
Austrian view, the text should now go to all potential
parties for a vote.
4. (SBU) Concerning the relationship of the convention to
other agreements, the Austrian position was that the Vienna
Convention on treaties was sufficient protection against a
hierarchy that would give the UNESCO convention precedence
over other agreements. On trade issues, the WTO decided not
to give an opinion, leaving the matter in UNESCO.
Brown
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - CROWLEY AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL ETRD AU UNESCO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA ON UNESCO CONVENTION ON
CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS
REF: STATE 170909
This cable is Sensitive but Unclassified. Please treat
accordingly.
1. (SBU) Economic-Political Counselor delivered reftel
demarche to Ilona Hoyos, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's head
of UNESCO affairs. We reviewed U.S. concerns about the text
of the preliminary draft convention on the protection and
promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, and urged
Austria to support our position that the draft remain open
for futher negotiation.
2. (SBU) Hoyos said she participated in the last two
negotiating rounds on the document. She had found
discussions with the U.S. delegation to e "very fruitful."
That said, with the exception of some minor textual changes
which Austria has distributed in capitals, Austria considered
the current draft to be the best outcome that such a large
group of countries could achieve. There is both
parliamentary and governmental support for the draft text in
Austria, she added.
3. (SBU) Hoyos argued that there were many international
legal mechanisms to safeguard culture, but UNESCO properly
took on the task of developing "something readable." In the
Austrian view, the text should now go to all potential
parties for a vote.
4. (SBU) Concerning the relationship of the convention to
other agreements, the Austrian position was that the Vienna
Convention on treaties was sufficient protection against a
hierarchy that would give the UNESCO convention precedence
over other agreements. On trade issues, the WTO decided not
to give an opinion, leaving the matter in UNESCO.
Brown