Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS1106
2006-02-23 06:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

IPDC BUREAU UPDATE

Tags:  KPAO ECPS ETRD ECON EINT ETTC EAID UNESCO 
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UNCLAS PARIS 001106 

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

SENSITIVE

FOR IO/UNESCO, EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO ECPS ETRD ECON EINT ETTC EAID UNESCO
SUBJECT: IPDC BUREAU UPDATE

Ref: A) Paris 404, B) Paris 574 C) State 17667

UNCLAS PARIS 001106

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

SENSITIVE

FOR IO/UNESCO, EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO ECPS ETRD ECON EINT ETTC EAID UNESCO
SUBJECT: IPDC BUREAU UPDATE

Ref: A) Paris 404, B) Paris 574 C) State 17667


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador Oliver spoke with the
Ambassador of the Netherlands on February 17, 2006 and
confirmed that the Dutch Ambassador still plans to run for
the Group I seat on the International Programme for the
Development of Communication (IPDC) Bureau. In the
meantime, the Greek Ambassador has told the Dutch that he
would like to run for a split seat with them - a total
reversal of his previous stance to step aside if the U.S.
wanted to run for a shared seat with the Netherlands (an
earlier U.S. suggestion). The Dutch Ambassador, however,
was uninterested. Ambassador Oliver told her that she
agreed with point(reftel) that now might not be a good time
for the U.S. to run against the Danish Presidency of the
IPDC, given the current political situation. Given the
changing circumstances, Mission recommends not running for
the IPDC Chair or the Group One seat, rather committing
150,000 USD in ICSECA funds to the IPDC and perhaps running
for the bureau in 2007.

--------------
GREEK ABOUT FACE
--------------


2. (SBU) The Dutch Ambassador stated that Greece had
offered to split the seat, serving in it from 2006 to 2007,
while the Netherlands would serve in the seat from 2007 to

2008. This came as a surprise to all, since the Greek
Ambassador had previously been supportive of a U.S.
suggestion to run for a shared seat with the Netherlands.
In exchange for this deal, the Greek Ambassador "guaranteed"
that, as the 2007 chair of Group I, he could run for and win
a second term in 2007. He would then share it with the
Netherlands, so that each side served the equivalent of a
full 2-year term. However, the Dutch Ambassador confided to
Ambassador Oliver that she did not trust the Greek
Ambassador, and besides her government and national
Commission for UNESCO wanted her to only run for a 2-year
term.

--------------
DELICATE DENMARK
--------------


3. (SBU) Ambassador Oliver noted the continuing global
furor over Danish political cartoons negatively depicting
Muslims, and stated that she agreed with the Dutch
Ambassador's assessment that now might not be the best time
to approach Denmark about stepping down from the IPDC
Presidency. The Dutch Ambassador was very pleased to note
this.

--------------
MISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
--------------


4. (SBU) Given the changing circumstances, Mission
recommends not running for the Presidency of the IPDC unless
the current Danish President, who plans to run again,
changes his mind for some unexpected reason. Mission does
not plan to run this year against the Netherlands for the
Group I seat since the Netherlands will get all of the votes
from the EU member states in Group I. Therefore, to
demonstrate U.S. commitment to the IPDC, Mission recommends
giving 150,000 USD of the existing ICSECA funds to the IPDC
and perhaps running for the bureau in 2008.
Oliver