UNESCO CONVENTION NOT THE SUBJECT OF ATTENTION IN NEW

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000118 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/ANP - DAN RICCI E.O. 12985: N/A TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO NZ SUBJECT: UNESCO CONVENTION NOT THE SUBJECT OF ATTENTION IN NEW ZEALAND AT THE PRESENT TIME REF: STATE 19851 ¶1. (SBU) As far as Post can tell, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression has, at this stage, not appeared on the legislative or media radar in New Zealand. There is no reference or record of the convention at all on the official legislative agenda. Nor is there any reference to the convention in the agenda of business at Select Committee level, including the Committee that specifically deals with the ratification of international treaties and conventions. ¶2. (SBU) A review of the media over the past 12 months reveals that there has been no mention of the convention at all. There also does not seem to be any effort by UNESCO in New Zealand to promote the convention, prompt a dialogue about it, or even explain it. As a consequence, at present there is no public debate on the convention in New Zealand whatsoever. ¶3. (SBU) Post will continue to be on the lookout for any sign that New Zealand intends to implement the convention. McCormick