OMAN NONCOMMITAL ON UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 001712 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, IO/UNESCO; PARIS FOR USMISSION UNESCO E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2016 TAGS: PREL ETRD UNESCO MU SUBJECT: OMAN NONCOMMITAL ON UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS REF: A. MUSCAT 1668 ¶B. STATE 188253 Classified By: CDA Alfred F. Fonteneau for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) (C) Pol/Econ Chief met December 10 with Salim bin Abdullah Ba-Umar, Acting Director of the Foreign Ministry's International Conferences and Organizations Department, to ask for an update on Oman's intentions regarding the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Expressions. Ba-Umar stated that Oman had voted for the Convention in 2005 "under lots of pressure from other countries" (he did not provide any names),despite having concerns expressed in Oman's statement accompanying its vote. Given that the Convention would "soon" enter into force, he questioned the utility of issuing a written understanding with instruments of ratification. Pol/Econ Chief pushed back and stressed that such understandings would help prevent countries from misusing the Convention to evade international trade and treaty obligations. Ba-Umar responded that Oman would continue to seriously consider our request. FONTENEAU