USUNESCO - DG'S SURPRISE CHRISTMAS SHAKE-UP

UNCLAS PARIS 000098

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL FR UNESCO
SUBJECT: USUNESCO - DG'S SURPRISE CHRISTMAS SHAKE-UP
IN THE EDUCATION AND SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCE SECTORS



1. Just before UNESCO closed for the Christmas
holidays, Director General Matsuura, on December 23,
issued an internal memorandum shaking up parts of both
the education and social science sectors. In a
surprise move, the DG reassigned Wataru Iwamoto
(Japan),the head of the Education Sector's Secondary,
Technical and Vocational section to be the head of the
Social and Human Science (SHS) sector's Management of
Social Transformations (MOST) program. This change
will likely have positive implications for the
Education Sector while potentially limiting the reach
of SHS.


2. Iwamoto will now assume a D1 post, replacing Pierre
Sane (ADG/SHS) as acting director of the MOST program.
Part of Iwamoto's new portfolio will be the monitoring
of the anti-doping convention (which was previously in
the education sector) and other sports-related
activities such as CIGEPS and MINEPS. Iwamoto assumes
his job just before the major MOST meeting in Argentina
and Uruguay next month.


3. ADG for Education Peter Smith's deputy, Qian Tang,
who formerly handled the Secondary, Technical and
Vocational section will temporarily handle the section
again when he returns from his holidays. The section
will probably be in disarray for some time as it will
not only be changing leadership, it will also be moving
imminently into new offices as part of the UNESCO
headquarters renovation.


4. Comment. This shake-up has mostly positive
implications for U.S. interests. The DG will now be
able to exert more direct control over the MOST
program, and Pierre Sane's hold over his prized program
will be weakened. Though the core budget for
implementing the anti-doping convention will be moved
from the Education Sector, any future costs will have
to be borne from the already limited SHS budget. While
most of this bodes well for the U.S., one area of
concern is Iwamoto's perceived weakness as a leader.
Though he will have the DG's backing it remains to be
seen whether he will be as effective a bureaucratic in-
fighter as Sane.


5. Comment continued: The shake-up also shows the
DG's deep distrust of Sane. While Peter Smith is being
given free rein to restructure the Education Sector, we
are told the DG told a senior staff meeting several
months ago that he intends to be directly involved in
the restructuring of SHS. Sane loses the opportunity
to place an ally in an important D1 position while a D1
position in the Education Sector is vacated just before
Smith's reforms are implemented.

KOSS