OECD: SG GURRIA NOMINATES DEPUTIES SECRETARIES GENERAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000446

SIPDIS

FROM USOECD PARIS

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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


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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