Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRETORIA636
2006-02-14 14:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:
UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS UPDATE
how-toVZCZCXYZ0018 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHSA #0636 0451417 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 141417Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1561 INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0181 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHFR/USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 0003 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1137
UNCLAS PRETORIA 000636
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR IO/UNESCO/CNOVO, IO/PPC/RWILBUR, EB/TPP/MTA/LCHASON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO SF
SUBJECT: UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS UPDATE
AND INFORMATION REQUEST
REF: STATE 19851
UNCLAS PRETORIA 000636
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR IO/UNESCO/CNOVO, IO/PPC/RWILBUR, EB/TPP/MTA/LCHASON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO SF
SUBJECT: UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS UPDATE
AND INFORMATION REQUEST
REF: STATE 19851
1. (SBU) We understand from Director Rufus Mathebe of the
Department of Arts and Culture and State Law Advisor Joann
Schneeberger of the Department of Foreign Affiars that the
Convention on Cultural Diversity must be approved by Cabinet
before taken up by Parliament for ratification. Mathabe
expects that Cabinet will approve the Convention within the
next two to three months. Schneeberger told us that it
normally takes six to twelve months for Parliament to ratify.
2. (SBU) To date, there has been little or no media coverage
of the Convention, and no discernible public debate.
However, over the course of the last two years, at least four
governmental departments (Foreign Affairs, Environment and
Tourism, Justice, and Arts and Culture) have issued press
releases expounding the importance of South Africa's
leadership in drafting the Convention. If push came to
shove, we believe that there are any number of local NGO's
that would strongly support ratification, as would political
parties. We have little doubt that South Africa will ratify
the Convention.
3. (SBU) We note that former Minister of Education and
current Member of Parliament Kader Asmal chaired the
Convention's negotiating sessions of intergovernmental
experts. Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan attended the
33rd UNESCO General Conference in Paris on October 17-20,
2005 to read the declaration on behalf of African member
states. The Department of Arts and Culture plans to hold a
Regional and Diaspora Conference on Cultural Diversity in
March or April of 2006, where it will press other African
countires to ratify the Convention. On February 9, French
Ambassador to South Africa Jean Felix-Paganon presented the
Insignia of Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honor, one
of France's highest awards, to Asmal in recognition of 1) his
struggle against apartheid, 2) his pursuit of human rights,
and 3) his work with the United Nations on protecting
cultural expression.
TEITELBAUM
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR IO/UNESCO/CNOVO, IO/PPC/RWILBUR, EB/TPP/MTA/LCHASON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO SF
SUBJECT: UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS UPDATE
AND INFORMATION REQUEST
REF: STATE 19851
1. (SBU) We understand from Director Rufus Mathebe of the
Department of Arts and Culture and State Law Advisor Joann
Schneeberger of the Department of Foreign Affiars that the
Convention on Cultural Diversity must be approved by Cabinet
before taken up by Parliament for ratification. Mathabe
expects that Cabinet will approve the Convention within the
next two to three months. Schneeberger told us that it
normally takes six to twelve months for Parliament to ratify.
2. (SBU) To date, there has been little or no media coverage
of the Convention, and no discernible public debate.
However, over the course of the last two years, at least four
governmental departments (Foreign Affairs, Environment and
Tourism, Justice, and Arts and Culture) have issued press
releases expounding the importance of South Africa's
leadership in drafting the Convention. If push came to
shove, we believe that there are any number of local NGO's
that would strongly support ratification, as would political
parties. We have little doubt that South Africa will ratify
the Convention.
3. (SBU) We note that former Minister of Education and
current Member of Parliament Kader Asmal chaired the
Convention's negotiating sessions of intergovernmental
experts. Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan attended the
33rd UNESCO General Conference in Paris on October 17-20,
2005 to read the declaration on behalf of African member
states. The Department of Arts and Culture plans to hold a
Regional and Diaspora Conference on Cultural Diversity in
March or April of 2006, where it will press other African
countires to ratify the Convention. On February 9, French
Ambassador to South Africa Jean Felix-Paganon presented the
Insignia of Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honor, one
of France's highest awards, to Asmal in recognition of 1) his
struggle against apartheid, 2) his pursuit of human rights,
and 3) his work with the United Nations on protecting
cultural expression.
TEITELBAUM