Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS7098
2006-10-27 17:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

(U) USUNESCO - MORE INFORMATION ON BRASILIA OFFICE

Tags:  UNESCO SCUL BR 
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Lucia A Keegan 11/08/2006 02:48:02 PM From DB/Inbox: Lucia A Keegan

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 07098

SIPDIS
cxparis:
 ACTION: UNESCO
 INFO: POL ECON AMBU AMB AMBO DCM SCI

DISSEMINATION: UNESCOX
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:LOLIVER
DRAFTED: DCM:AKOSS
CLEARED: NONE

VZCZCFRI014
OO RUEHC RUEHBR
DE RUEHFR #7098 3001703
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 271703Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2652
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1703
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007098 

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNESCO, IO/FO, WHA/BSC, L/UNA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2016
TAGS: UNESCO SCUL BR
SUBJECT: (U) USUNESCO - MORE INFORMATION ON BRASILIA OFFICE


C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007098

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNESCO, IO/FO, WHA/BSC, L/UNA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2016
TAGS: UNESCO SCUL BR
SUBJECT: (U) USUNESCO - MORE INFORMATION ON BRASILIA OFFICE



1. (U) Classified by USUNESCO DCM Andrew Koss for reason 1.4 (d)


2. (C) Assistant Secretary Powell delivered her talking points
on Brasilia to Director-General (DG) Matsuura during their
meeting on October 24. Following that meeting, Ambassador
Oliver had a private session with the DG to discuss unconfirmed
reports that the External Auditor was postponing his
investigation of Brasilia in order to first investigate issues
relating to ADG Peter Smith's management reform initiative. In
a follow up phone call to Ambassador Oliver on October 25, the
DG told her that her concerns were unfounded and that the
External Auditor is continuing to focus on Brasilia as a top
priority. He also told the Ambassador that he will be
overseeing the entire investigation himself.


3. (C) Secretariat sources informed the Mission on October 20
that the new UNESCO External Auditor, Philippe Seguin of France,
had aggressively started to audit the Education Sector
management reform, including the contract with the management
consulting firm Navigant, rather than begin work on assessment
of problems at the Brasilia office. During the Executive Board,
the derogation used by the DG and ADG Peter Smith to issue the
Navigant contract came under sharp questioning from South
Africa, India and Benin, though the comptroller pointed out that
the DG's power to issue a derogation is clearly set out in the
Organization's financial regulations.


4. (C) However, according to the DG, Brasilia is still the top
priority and there will be a UNESCO mission to Brasilia in
mid-November. Although we are assured that the issues
surrounding Brasilia will be thoroughly investigated without
delay, we do not yet know exactly who will be on the Mission.


5. (U) Mission will deliver the Silverberg-Matsuura letter to
the DG, as soon as final text is received and will ask for more
details about the composition of the mission to Brasilia and the
involvement of the External Auditor.


6. (C) Comment. There may be political motivation behind the
External Auditor's move. We were told that the Brazilian
ambassador and External Auditor were supposed to have lunch
during the Executive Board, but a direct link between the lunch
and the investigation while plausible, would be strictly
speculation. As we reported septel those countries that pushed
strongest for the audit of the Education Sector were those that
most ardently supported Brazil's effort to prevent further
evaluation of the Brasilia office. The ambassador of Benin who
was chairing the meetings that discussed Brasilia and the
education reform was anxious to move things along quickly when
the discussion was about Brasilia (though the meeting ended up
lasting over two hours) but sanctimoniously said during the
discussion of the education reform that he would not abide gray
areas in UNESCO's financial management. Peter Smith has invited
scrutiny of his reform plan, and while he may not have expected
the aggressiveness of the External Auditor, the education reform
will go forward.
Oliver