OECD: SG GURRIA NOMINATES DEPUTIES SECRETARIES GENERAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000446 SIPDIS FROM USOECD PARIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EUR/ERA PETER CHASE AND ERIC LUFTMAN, E FOR DANIEL MORRISON AND DOUG HENGEL AND EB FOR A/S SULLIVAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON OECD ETRD EAID EFIN AORC IT JAPAN NL SUBJECT: OECD: SG GURRIA NOMINATES DEPUTIES SECRETARIES GENERAL THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) At the conclusion of the February 5 Council, SG Gurria distributed a letter to delegation heads (see para 4) putting forward his proposal for the four Deputy Secretaries General. He will formally present these to the Council on February 20 for agreement (by consensus). ¶2. (SBU) The selections are: Mrs. Thelma Askey (US); Mr. Aart Jan de Geus (Netherlands); Mr. Pier Carlo Padoan (Italy); and Mr. Mari Amano (Japan). Brief bios, along with their notional duties, are included in the text of the letter. ¶3. (SBU) Gurria said he received 22 nominees from 14 countries (including four nominees from the U.S. and three from Japan). Two were women, one of which (Ms. Askey from the U.S.) was selected. He stressed that the only criterion for his selection was the quality of the candidates. ¶4. (SBU) Letter from OECD Secretary General, Angel Gurria. Begin text: Dated: 5 February 2007 AG/2007.268.sb Dear Ambassador, Last November, during the Ambassador's retreat in Perigeux, I shared with you the profiles of the 4 Deputy Secretaries-General who should form the new team of the top management of the Organisation. I invited you to propose suitable candidates, an invitation to which many of you have responded by presenting one or more personalities from official, political or academic circles of your countries. In fact, we received 22 candidatures from 14 countries. Given the wide choice of outstanding candidates, I engaged in a thorough selection process, which, in some cases, included personal interviews and telephone conversations. Beyond the need to match the profiles of the four positions, the candidates have also been considered in terms of building a team that would best support our quest to ensure the relevance of the OECD. The team members should complement each other's skills, competencies and approaches. Consideration was also given to gender balance. It has been my objective to present to you the four new Deputy Secretaries-General, although the timeframe for the nominations do SIPDIS not coincide. The replacement of Mr. Akasaka will only become necessary in August 2007 and I intend to fill the other positions as soon as possible. In reviewing the specific needs for the Organisation and its strategic agenda, I have come to the conclusion that there is no need for oversight of the operational management of the Organisation at the DSG level. I also believe that the responsibilities for individual Directorates will be defined once the DSGs will have arrived in Paris. In light of these considerations, I recommend that the Council approve the nomination of Mrs. Thelma Askey (US),Mr. Aart Jan de Geus (Netherlands),Mr. Pier Carlo Padoan (Italy) and Mr. Mari Amano (Japan) as new Deputy Secretaries-General of the Organisation. I intend to allocate the responsibilities in the following way: ¶1. Global Relations Mrs. Thelma Askey, a native of Tennessee, USA, is currently Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency. She previously served as a Commissioner on the United States International Trade Commission, as Staff Director of the Trade Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means and as the Subcommittee's Minority Trade Counsel. Well-versed in the US legislative process, Mrs. Askey is an excellent negotiator with extensive experience in diplomacy, as well as in international economic and trade policy. ¶2. Political Economy of Reform (and the MCM and ECSS) Mr. Aart Jan de Geus, from the Netherlands, is a lawyer and his career has involved various functions in public and private service at local, national and international level. Currently he is the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and has advanced a thorough package of domestic reforms in his country. He has very strong analytical skills and excellent knowledge of policy issues. ¶3. Future Strategic Issues for the OECD (and relationship with other international organizations) Mr. Pier Carlo Padoan, from Italy, a prestigious and well-known economist, has filled various academic positions in Italian and foreign universities. Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund from 2001 to 2005, he has also been adviser in the Prime Minister's Office in charge of international economic policies. Currently he is Professor of Economics at the University of Rome and Director of the Fondazione Italianieuropei. He will bring to his new post his extensive knowledge of economic research and will work closely with the academic community for the benefit of the OECD. ¶4. Policy Coherence (and the development cluster) Mr. Mari Amano, from Japan, has worked, during his successful 34-year career as a Japanese Foreign Affairs official, on policy issues in the areas of macroeconomic management, trade frictions, development aid, foreign investment, environment and energy. Mr. Amano is currently acting Executive Director of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation. The Council resolution will be prepared to be included in the agenda of the Council meeting on 20 February. I hope this excellent team can count on your support and will help us to advance the strategic vision of the Organisation. Yours sincerely, Angel Gurria End Text. REID