UNESCO: GUIDANCE REQUEST ON FUNDING

UNCLAS PARIS 000329 SIPDIS FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS STATE FOR IO/UNESCO DOUGLAS ROHN, IO/S GEORGE ABRAHAM, L/UNA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ABUD UNESCO KSI SUBJECT: UNESCO: GUIDANCE REQUEST ON FUNDING STIPULATIONS REGARDING PARIAH STATES REFS: A. 2005 SECSTATE 228873, B. 2005 PARIS 8192 ¶1. AS INSTRUCTED REF A, POST INFORMED BOTH UNESCO SECRETARIAT AND ICSU DEPUTY DIRECTOR THAT UNESCO FUNDS SIPDIS PROVIDED TO THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE (ICSU) CAN NOT/NOT BE EXONERATED FROM RESTRICTIONS REGARDING THE USE OF USG FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF ACTIVITIES IN LIBYA, IRAN, CUBA, BURMA, THE DPRK, SYRIA, AND THE PLO. BOTH UNESCO AND ICSU SECRETARIAT SAID THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THE REGULATIONS AND WOULD ABIDE BY THEM. ¶2. REF A ALSO INSTRUCTED POST TO ASK THAT FY 04 ICSECA FUNDS ALLOCATED TO ICSU VIA UNESCO BE RETURNED BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT YET BEEN SPENT. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE ICSU SECRETARIAT, A LEGALLY BINDING ICSU-UNESCO LETTER OF AGREEMENT REGARDING THE USE OF THE FUNDS WAS ESTABLISHED IN APRIL 2005. BEGINNING IN JUNE 2005, 335,000 USD WAS TRANSFERRED TO ICSU. AS PER CURRENT PRACTICE, 45,000 USD OF THE TOTAL OF 380,000 USD HAS BEEN WITHHELD PENDING SUBMISSION OF A FINAL REPORT. ICSU HAS DISTRIBUTED THE MONEY ACCORDING TO ITS 2005 WORK PLAN. ¶3. THE GRANTS FINANCED BY THE FY 2004 ICSECA FUNDS DOVETAIL WELL WITH USG GOALS FOR UNESCO'S NATURAL SCIENCES AND COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTORS. THESE INCLUDE INTERDISCIPINARY PROJECTS IN THE FIELDS OF CAPACITY BUILDING, EDUCATION, DISSEMINATION OF SCIENTIFIC DATA, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION. EXAMPLES OF THESE PORJECTS INCLUDE: 93,000 USD - TO BUILD NETWORKS OF TEACHERS AND YOUNG SCIENTISTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO TACKLE SCIENCE PROJECTS AIMED AT THREE CONTEMPORARY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES: BIODIVERSITY, FORESTRY AND WATER RESOURCES. 50,000 USD - TO CREATE A DATA BASE/WEBSITE OF KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING RECEPTORS AND SITES FOR DRUG ACTION; THE WEBSITE WILL BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO SCIENTISTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. 50,000 USD -- TO BUILD CAPACITY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD IN E-SCIENCE AND THE INFORMATION SOCIETY VIA AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP. ¶4. IN ADDITION TO ITS OWN GRANTS PROGRAM, ICSU HAS, AS REQUESTED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT, MADE GRANTS OF 85,000 USD TO THE INTERNATIONAL GEOSCIENCE PROGRAM (IGCP) AND 25,000 USD TO INASP TO PROMOTE THE AVAILABILITY OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS VIA AN UPDATED WEBSITE. ¶5. In VIEW OF THE FACT THAT FY 04 ICSECA FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISBURSED BY BOTH UNESCO AND ICSU, POST RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THAT DEPARTMENT RECONSIDER ITS REQUEST (CONVEYED REF A) FOR RETURN OF FY 04 ICSECA FUNDS GRANTED TO ICSU VIA UNESCO. OLIVER.