GHANA: SECGEN SELECTION AND UNESCO CONVENTION

UNCLAS ACCRA 000413 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD SCUL GH UNESCO SUBJECT: GHANA: SECGEN SELECTION AND UNESCO CONVENTION UPDATE REF: A. STATE 22833 ¶B. STATE 019851 ¶C. STATE 00355 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Per reftel A, on February 14, MFA Acting Director of International Organizations Edwin Adjei told PolOff that the Government of Ghana (GOG) has not seen any African candidate emerge for UN Secretary General and has no favorite at this time. Also, the GOG is not poised to ratify he UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity any time soon. End summary. -------------- ANNAN'S SUCCESSOR -------------- ¶2. (SBU) PolOff explained to Adjei that the USG is open to Asian candidates but believes Annan's successor should be selected based on the ability to lead and reform the UN effectively, not geographical rotation. Adjei said the GOG is aware of candidates to succeed Annan from South Korea, Thailand and Sri Lanka. (Note: Reputed SecGen candidate, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon, visited Ghana in late January. End note.) Adjei also said the GOG has not been approached by any diplomatic missions regarding any Brazilian candidate. (Note: Brazilian President Da Silva visited West Africa, including Ghana, in 2005 while campaigning for a UN Security Council. He visited Benin in February. End note.) He said the succession was not discussed at the African Union's recent meeting in Khartoum. ¶3. (SBU) Following this meeting, PolOff saw Nana Bema Kumi, recently appointed Ghana's Ambassador to Belgium, who previously served as the Supervising Director of the Multilateral, Legal and Passports Department. Kumi is well-versed in the UN's geographical rotation tradition, and she suggested, "Academically, it should be Western Europe's turn." (Note: It was unclear if Kumi will have any role in determining the GOG's candidate. End note.) -------------- UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Adjei said the MFA only recently realized that the GOG is required to ratify the Convention and that the Ministry of Justice would have to draft legislation before this process could move ahead. However, he knew of no plans to draft such legislation and indicated the issue had not been given any priority. ¶5. (U) The Convention does not appear on any parliamentary agendas, is not slated for any legislative action, and has not received any significant press coverage or public debate in Ghana. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Ghana's Ministry of Justice has a poor record of drafting legislation in a timely manner, even when the GOG is committed to passing it. During one of three parliamentary sessions in 2005, parliament did not move on any non-budgetary legislation. The parliamentary majority is currently focused on the controversial Representation of the People bill (see reftel C),and the minority is boycotting the proceedings. It is unlikely any additional significant legislation will move forward in the near term, and international conventions with no domestic constituencies are low priorities in Ghana. We do not recommend a public diplomacy campaign here because it would only raise the profile of a convention that is not likely to be ratified any time soon. -------------- BIO NOTE -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Ambassasdor Kumi is clearly excited about her new role and said she was chosen because of her French ability and experience in multilateral affairs. She said she was offered a position at Ghana's Mission to the United Nations in New York but turned it down as she had served there before and preferred to handle European Union affairs.) BRIDGEWATER