ARGENTINE PROGRESS ON RATIFICATION OF THE UNESCO

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000338

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR IO/UNESCO M. CRISTINA NOVO, IO/PPC FOR RICHARD WILBUR,
AND EB/TPP/MTA FOR LINDSAY CHASON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE PROGRESS ON RATIFICATION OF THE UNESCO
CONVENTION ON CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS

REF: A. STATE 019851


B. 05 BUENOS AIRES 01281


1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified, and not
for Internet distribution.


2. (U) Argentina has done little to ratify the Convention on
the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions following its October 2005 adoption. The process
by which the Convention would eventually be ratified is
initiated by the MFA's International Organizations office,
which sends the Convention to the Ministry of Education's
Secretariat of Culture for comments. The Secretariat of

SIPDIS
Culture then returns the Convention and its recommendations
concerning implementation to the MFA, where the legal office
drafts the implementing legislation that is eventually placed
on Argentina's legislative calendar. That process has
apparently not begun, as Embassy contacts in the Secretariat
of Culture told Econ FSN that the Secretariat has yet to
receive the MFA's request for comments.


3. (SBU) This issue has received very little attention in the
Argentine press (an Internet search revealed only two
back-page articles from several months ago). It is the
Embassy's impression that very few Argentines are aware of
the Convention, and public diplomacy campaign against
ratification (as contemplated in Reftel A) would therefore
likely be confusing and ineffective (and possibly
counterproductive).


4. (U) To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our
classified
website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires.< /a>
GUTIERREZ