USUNESCO: GENERAL INFORMATION MEETING ON

UNCLAS PARIS 002081

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL FR UNESCO
SUBJECT: USUNESCO: GENERAL INFORMATION MEETING ON
THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AGAINST DOPING IN SPORTS



1. SUMMARY: UNESCO DIRECTOR GENERAL MATSUURA
ANTICIPATES THAT THE ANTI-DOPING CONVENTION WILL BE IN
FORCE BY MAY 2006. UNESCO IS PREPARING A NEW
COMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATION PROGRAM AIMED AT WORLD
YOUTH TO HIGHLIGHT THE DANGERS OF DRUG DOPING IN
SPORT. MATSUURA BELIEVES THE CONVENTION WILL FOCUS
INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION ON UNESCO AND WILL DEMONSTRATE
UNESCO'S RELEVANCE AND ABILITY TO ADAPT TO THE WORLD'S
CHANGING NEEDS. END SUMMARY.


2. UNESCO DIRECTOR GENERAL MATSUURA SPOKE THIS PAST
FRIDAY MORNING, 24 MARCH 2006, TO A GENERAL
INFORMATION MEETING ON THE RATIFICATION AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AGAINST
DOPING IN SPORTS AT UNESCO HEADQUARTERS WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY
CONSENSUS AT UNESCO'S 2005 GENERAL CONFERENCE. HAVING BEEN
SUCCESSFUL IN ENSURING THAT KEY ELEMENTS OF THE CONVENTION
ARE ACCEPTABLE TO US, THE U.S. WAS ABLE TO JOIN THE
CONSENSUS.


3. DG MATSUURA ANNOUNCED THAT 10 COUNTRIES HAD
ALREADY RATIFIED THE CONVENTION (SWEDEN, CANADA,
DENMARK, NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY, AUSTRALIA, MONACO,
ICELAND, THE COOK ISLANDS, AND NIGERIA). HE
ANTICIPATES THAT RATIFICATION BY THE 30 COUNTRIES
NEEDED TO BRING THE CONVENTION INTO FORCE WILL BE
ACCOMPLISHED BY MAY 2006. THE CONVENTION BECOMES
INTERNATIONAL LAW ONE MONTH AFTER 30 COUNTRIES HAVE RATIFIED
THE AGREEMENT.


4. MATSUURA ANTICIPATES THE CONVENTION WILL BE IN
FORCE PRIOR TO THE START OF SOCCER'S WORLD CUP, BEING
HELD IN GERMANY FROM 9 JUNE TO 9 JULY. MATSUURA WILL
BE ATTENDING A SEMI-FINAL GAME, AND INTENDS TO USE THE
VISIT TO COMMUNICATE ON UNESCO'S ROLE IN ANTI-DOPING.
HE STRESSED HIS DESIRE THAT MEMBER STATES TAKE STEPS
TO PUT THE CONVENTION INTO EFFECT AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE.


5. THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR INTERVENED AND MENTIONED THAT
THE RATIFICATION PROCESS IN GERMANY IS A SLOW ONE,
REQUIRING THE CONSENT OF 16 STATES, AND THE NEED TO
TRANSLATE THE CONVENTION DOCUMENT INTO A STANDARD
GERMAN THAT WILL BE LEGALLY ACCEPTABLE GIVEN THE
REGIONAL VARIATIONS OF THE LANGUAGE.



6. THE ISSUE OF THE TIMING OF MEMBER STATE'S
RATIFICATION IS IMPORTANT AS ONLY THOSE MEMBER STATES
WHICH HAVE RATIFIED THE CONVENTION THREE MONTHS BEFORE
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF PARTIES MAY
PARTICIPATE. THE FIRST COMMITTEE OF PARTIES MEETING,
WHICH TAKES PLACE ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS, IS TENTATIVELY
SCHEDULED FOR 20-21 JULY AT UNESCO HEADQUARTERS. IT WILL BE
AT THIS MEETING THAT THE BASIC RULES OF THE ROAD REGARDING
THE CONVENTION'S ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
WILL BE SET. AMONG THE PRINCIPAL ACTIONS TAKEN WILL ALSO BE
THE ADOPTION OF THE LIST OF PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES FOR THE
YEAR 2006.


7. MATSUURA ANNOUNCED THAT UNESCO WILL UNDERTAKE A
MAJOR COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN REGARDING THE CONVENTION
TO PROMOTE ANTI-DOPING EDUCATION AND INCREASE
AWARENESS OF SUCH ISSUES AS SPORTS ETHICS, EQUITABLE
COMPETITION, AND FAIR PLAY. A NEW WEB SITE WILL BE
CREATED TO COMMUNICATE THE MESSAGE WORLDWIDE WITH
SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN.
MATSUURA ALSO MENTIONED THAT A SPORTS CHAMPION WILL BE
RECRUITED TO PROMOTE THE PROGRAM.

Oliver