DOWNSIDES TO CHIRAC'S FEBRUARY 2-3 ENVIRONMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 000108

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR G, OES, OES/E, OES/GC, STAS, EUR, EUR/WE
DEPT INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ
EPA FOR AYRES/MEDEARIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV AORC PREL FR
SUBJECT: DOWNSIDES TO CHIRAC'S FEBRUARY 2-3 ENVIRONMENT
CONFERENCE - REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE (SBU)

REF: 06 STATE 116862


1. (SBU) Summary and Action Request: The French Embassy in
Washington recently invited Interior Secretary Kempthorne and
EPA Administrator Johnson to attend the Conference for Global
Ecological Governance to be held in Paris in early February.
Given the characterization of agenda issues and the strict
format for discussion, Embassy is concerned this conference
may not provide a suitable venue for the presentation of U.S.
positions. Under these circumstances, Embassy questions
whether senior U.S. officials should attend this conference
and even whether the presence of a possible expert delegation
would make sense. Department's early consideration
appreciated. End Summary and Action Request.

--------------
From UNEP to UNEO?
--------------


2. (U) In September at UNGA, President Chirac told members
that "uncontrolled human activity is bringing about a sort of
slow collective suicide," and he urged the creation of a
United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO) to replace the
UN Environment Program (UNEP). Doing so he believes would
upgrade consideration given to environmental issues within
the United Nations system. Such a proposal is hardly new and
France and a number of other European countries, as well as
developing nations, have convened meetings to consider how to
move similar proposals forward. (In light of differing U.S.
views, the USG generally has not been invited to those
meetings.) At UNGA, Chirac also announced that France would
host an international conference to discuss the creation of a
UNEO. That conference will be held in Paris on February 2-3,
immediately following a meeting of the UNFCCC's
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Paris, and
immediately preceding a meeting of the Governing Council of
the UNEP in Nairobi.

--------------
Green politics and other things
--------------


3. (U) In France's current election season, the environment
issue is receiving top billing. In this context, Chirac
announced an impressive 'Committee of Honor' (all French
nationals) to oversee the February Conference for Global
Ecological Governance. He called on, for example, former
Prime Minister - and now Bordeaux Mayor - Alain Juppe to
coordinate the committee's activities. Juppe has expounded
in a popular blog on the need for greater effort to tackle
climate and environmental concerns. Another member of the
seven person committee is Nicolas Hulot, a French
environmental activist and himself a possible 'Green'
presidential contender. Other members are from the
scientific community, government, and industry.

--------------
Who's coming
--------------


4. (U) Conference materials note that its aim is to bring
together senior government officials, scientists, industry
leaders, NGOs, and public figures from 60 countries. GOF
sources claim that France has invited about 20 individuals
from the U.S., in addition to Kempthorne and Johnson. Names
we've heard include former Vice President Gore and Governor
Swartzenegger, but we are not certain whether they have
accepted. The GOF seeks a total of about 150 participants
from 50-60 countries. All invitees are personal guests of
the president and the GOF will defray travel and hotels costs.

--------------
Straightjacket agenda, venue, & format
--------------


5. (SBU) The manner in which the conference is organized
causes us concern that U.S. officials would have difficulty
conveying U.S. positions. The conclusion of the conference
appears foregone: the three-hour workshop at which the UNEO
is to be discussed has as a goal: "...call(ing) for a

PARIS 00000108 002 OF 003


strengthening of international environmental governance by
transforming the UNEP into a fully-fledged United Nations
agency (UNEO)." Moreover, the morning following the workshop
sessions, Chirac will close the conference with a "call for
action." Opening and closing ceremonies will take place at
the President's Elysee Palace and will consist of set
speeches. Finally, the program for the concurrent,
three-hour workshops contain not only the UNEO topic, but
also other issues of interest to the U.S. and which we
believe would require considerably different treatment than
that they would receive at this conference. The program can
be found at the conference website: www.citoyensdelaterre.fr
and follows in para 6.


6. (U) Program for the Conference on Ecological Governance.

February 2
--------------

1100 hrs: Elysee Palace. Official Opening. Speech by
President Chirac.

1115 hrs: Remarks by various political and scientific figures.

1200 hrs: Reception at the Elysee Palace.

1300 hrs: Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Luncheon co-hosted by
Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy and Ecology and Sustainable
Development Minister Olin.

1530 hrs: Kleber International Conference Center. Delegates
divide on six themes.

- Workshop 1: Combating climate disruption:

This workshop will analyze, on the basis of the latest
conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on climate Change,
the impact, cost and consequences of international inaction
on climate change. It will put forward ambitious measures,
especially in the areas of energy and transport.

- Workshop 2: Acting together to safeguard biodiversity:

This workshop will evaluate the threats facing biodiversity
and assess the impact of its deterioration on human
societies. It will propose a new mode of governance to
safeguard biodiversity. The workshop will highlight the need
for an international expert evaluation of the situation with
regard to biodiversity and will address new topics now
emerging such as high-sea biodiversity.

- Workshop 3: Combating pollution and protecting health:

This workshop will analyze the effects, both global and
local, of air pollution, particularly with regard to public
health, and will take stock of the controls on transfers of
hazardous substances and waste. The workshop will look at
strengthening of the "polluter pays" principle.

- Workshop 4: Making water a collective issue:

The focus of this workshop will be on sanitation issues,
especially in the developing world, and the actions to be
planned to adapt the management of this resource to cope with
climate change, in conjunction with the Millennium
Development Goals.

- Workshop 5: Changing mentalities and patterns of production
and consumption:

This workshop will address the human dimension of the
ecological crisis and the way in which we should face up to
the contemporary challenges raised by the population
explosion, uncontrolled urbanization and mass poverty. It
will recommend changes in individual behavior and in patterns
of production and consumption.

- Workshop 6: Strengthening international environmental
governance


PARIS 00000108 003 OF 003


This workshop will conduct a critical overview of the current
approach to international cooperation, which is characterized
by the fragmentation and weakness of the United Nations
system. It will call for a strengthening of international
environmental governance by transforming the United Nations
Environment Program into a fully-fledged United Nations
agency (UNEO).

February 3
--------------

0930 hrs: Elysee Palace. Chairpersons will give a
presentation of the proceedings of their respective six
workshops.

1100 hrs: President Chirac will officially close the
proceedings and send out a "Paris call for action."


7. (SBU) Comment: While we would normally encourage the
presence of senior officials to articulate U.S. positions at
high-level international environmental gatherings, President
Chirac's decidedly 'French' agenda for the February
Ecological Governance event appears to include difficult
international environmental issues for which acceptable
international solutions have not yet been identified.
Moreover, neither are the proposals called for in the
conference necessarily the ones advocated by the U.S., nor
does the conference format lend itself to a full airing of
the topics. Accordingly, we seek the Department's guidance
whether and how the USG should be represented at the
conference. End comment.



Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

STAPLETON