LEBANON: GOL REQUESTS FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ATTEND

UNCLAS BEIRUT 000696 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNESCO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OEXC PGOV PREL PTER SOCI UNESCO LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: GOL REQUESTS FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ATTEND UNESCO CONFERENCE REF: SECSTATE 46958 ¶1. (SBU) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to Elie Mekhael, Secretary General of the Council for Children at the Ministry of Social Affairs (MSA) on May 7. Mekhael said he was very interested in attending the UNESCO Conference on the Counterradicalization of Youth being held in Bahrain June 15-17, but due to the MSA's tight budget, he would be unable to attend. He asked POLOFF for funding suggestions and said he would encourage local NGOs contacts to participate if UNESCO financial support was limited civil society participants. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: Post welcomes the Department's suggestions on possible sources of financial assistance to help SYG Mekhael to attend the UNESCO conference. This is a key topic in Lebanon and Mekhael would be a useful contributor to the conference discussions. End Comment. SISON