Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06REYKJAVIK51
2006-02-14 11:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Reykjavik
Cable title:
ICELAND: NEAR-TERM UNESCO CONVENTION RATIFICATION
how-toVZCZCXRO6363 OO RUEHAP RUEHFL RUEHGR RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHMJ RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHQU DE RUEHRK #0051 0451130 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 141130Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2576 INFO RUCNSCO/UNESCO COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000051
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNESCO M. CRISTINA NOVO, IO/PPC RICHARD
WILBUR, AND EB/TPP/MTA LINDSAY CHASON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL UNESCO ETRD IC
SUBJECT: ICELAND: NEAR-TERM UNESCO CONVENTION RATIFICATION
UNLIKELY
REF: (A) STATE 19851, (B) 05 Reykjavik 415, (C) 05
Reykjavik 431
UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000051
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNESCO M. CRISTINA NOVO, IO/PPC RICHARD
WILBUR, AND EB/TPP/MTA LINDSAY CHASON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL UNESCO ETRD IC
SUBJECT: ICELAND: NEAR-TERM UNESCO CONVENTION RATIFICATION
UNLIKELY
REF: (A) STATE 19851, (B) 05 Reykjavik 415, (C) 05
Reykjavik 431
1. Summary: The UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity is
not on Iceland's legislative agenda; nor has it attracted
Icelandic civil society or media attention. End summary.
2. Post can find no reference to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Convention on Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions, on the agenda for the Althingi (Icelandic
parliament). Queried casually and following other items of
business (per ref A instructions),Ministry for Foreign
Affairs Head of International Institutions Division Nikulas
Hannigan commented that he did not think this was an
instrument that Iceland would be in any rush to ratify.
3. Post Public Affairs Section searched the files and
websites of the country's leading newspapers --
Morgunbladid, Frettabladid and DV -- and found no media
coverage of the UNESCO cultural expressions issue. PAS also
searched the webpages of Iceland's Ministry for Foreign
Affairs and of the Icelandic Embassy in France, which
represents Iceland in UNESCO, and found no articles or press
releases about the UNESCO convention. Based on the apparent
lack of interest, PAS believes a PD campaign on the issue
would be counterproductive.
4. The following information is keyed to the tracking
categories provided ref A paragraph 8:
I. Legislative agenda
d) not likely to get on those agendas in 2006
II. Media attention
a) no published/broadcast opinion for or against
ratification since October
III. Public debate
a) No NGO, university, or other civil society discussions
since October
5. Comment: As reported refs B and C, Iceland followed the
EU lead in signing the Convention while to us cautiously
conceding the validity of U.S. criticisms. Given the
Government's ambivalence thus illustrated, we may expect no
exception in this case to the usual achingly slow Icelandic
process of incorporation of treaties into domestic law. End
comment.
VAN VOORST
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNESCO M. CRISTINA NOVO, IO/PPC RICHARD
WILBUR, AND EB/TPP/MTA LINDSAY CHASON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL UNESCO ETRD IC
SUBJECT: ICELAND: NEAR-TERM UNESCO CONVENTION RATIFICATION
UNLIKELY
REF: (A) STATE 19851, (B) 05 Reykjavik 415, (C) 05
Reykjavik 431
1. Summary: The UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity is
not on Iceland's legislative agenda; nor has it attracted
Icelandic civil society or media attention. End summary.
2. Post can find no reference to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Convention on Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions, on the agenda for the Althingi (Icelandic
parliament). Queried casually and following other items of
business (per ref A instructions),Ministry for Foreign
Affairs Head of International Institutions Division Nikulas
Hannigan commented that he did not think this was an
instrument that Iceland would be in any rush to ratify.
3. Post Public Affairs Section searched the files and
websites of the country's leading newspapers --
Morgunbladid, Frettabladid and DV -- and found no media
coverage of the UNESCO cultural expressions issue. PAS also
searched the webpages of Iceland's Ministry for Foreign
Affairs and of the Icelandic Embassy in France, which
represents Iceland in UNESCO, and found no articles or press
releases about the UNESCO convention. Based on the apparent
lack of interest, PAS believes a PD campaign on the issue
would be counterproductive.
4. The following information is keyed to the tracking
categories provided ref A paragraph 8:
I. Legislative agenda
d) not likely to get on those agendas in 2006
II. Media attention
a) no published/broadcast opinion for or against
ratification since October
III. Public debate
a) No NGO, university, or other civil society discussions
since October
5. Comment: As reported refs B and C, Iceland followed the
EU lead in signing the Convention while to us cautiously
conceding the validity of U.S. criticisms. Given the
Government's ambivalence thus illustrated, we may expect no
exception in this case to the usual achingly slow Icelandic
process of incorporation of treaties into domestic law. End
comment.
VAN VOORST