A/S HOOK'S MEETINGS WITH SENIOR UNESCO SECRETARIAT STAFF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS FR 002315 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2018 TAGS: PREL UNESCO KWBG JO IS SUBJECT: A/S HOOK'S MEETINGS WITH SENIOR UNESCO SECRETARIAT STAFF Classified by Ambassador Louise V. Oliver for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: IO Assistant Secretary Hook raised the DG election problem as well as the Mughrabi Gate issue in meetings with UNESCO Deputy Director and Chief of Staff. Both were concerned at the prospect that Egypt's Culture minister might succeed Director General Matsuura and put at risk management improvements made by the current Director General. On Jerusalem's Mughrabi Gate issue, DDG Barbosa felt that the Jordanians' push to get people on site to gather data for design planning was unnecessary and needlessly raised the question of which state had authority over the site. End summary. ¶2. (C) IO Assistant Secretary Brian Hook met separately with UNESCO's Deputy Director General Marcio Barbosa and the Director-General's Chief of Staff, Elizabeth Longworth, on 11 December 2008 at UNESCO headquarters. Ambassador Louise Oliver and Anthony Krause from the Secretariat were present at the DDG meeting; DCM Engelken joined Mr. Hook for the meeting with Ms. Longworth. ¶3. (C) Both Barbosa (himself an undeclared candidate for Director General) and Longworth were clearly concerned at the possibility that Egypt's Culture Minister Hosni might become UNESCO's next director General. Longworth (protect) made clear she feared Hosni might undo many of the managerial improvements Matsuura has put in place. She observed that Matsuura had fought hard to implement these improvements, and his top priority in his remaining months in office will be to lock in these gains. She expected that Matsuura will complete the process of establishing an ethics office which would include a complaints hotline that whistle-blowers can use. She also said he had recently achieved, over initial resistance, senior management approval for annual performance reports on UNESCO's senior executives to include 360 degree reviews. ¶4. (C) Longworth stressed she must be discreet, given her position as an international civil servant who will have the right to remain in the organization after Matsuura's departure, but said that she viewed the DG race as still open, and hoped more candidates would come forward. She remarked that the Egyptians clearly have professional public relations teams working on Hosni's candidacy, busily planting articles to boost his visibility, and, possibly disseminating misinformation, (e.g., suggesting support from certain countries where no decisions have been taken),as well. Longworth said that there is no doubt that the Egyptians have been playing hard-ball, for example, squeezing the Moroccans hard to withdraw their candidate. In response to A/S Hook's question on female candidates, Longworth answered that besides the Moroccan Ambassador, the Lithuanian and Bulgarian Ambassadors, whom she called "lightweights", were still in the running. ¶5. (C) Longworth said that it is "awkward" for the European Union given the fact that France, which is the current EU president, apparently pledged support to Hosni so early. She noted that France supposedly voted five different ways during the last DG election before the final decision was announced. ¶6. (C) Responding to A/S Hook's question about the need to find someone with strong communication skills, Longworth said that we should remember that Matsuura's predecessors, M'Bow and Mayor, did not lack charisma, but left the organization in a disastrous mess. Longworth said that what UNESCO needs is a proficient, sophisticated manager who can make change when it is needed. ¶7. (C) Finally, in response to A/S Hook's question about personnel in the organization, Ms. Longworth said that there will be a clean sweep at the most senior levels when the new Director General comes in. This will make it important to find respectable exit strategies for many of UNESCO's older employees who are not eager to leave Paris and return to their home countries. Ms. Longworth suggested that a "buy-out" fund be established to help finance exit packages for certain long-term employees when the new DG comes on board. DDG Barbosa Meeting ¶8. (C) A/S Hook and Deputy Director Barbosa discussed the Mughrabi Gate issue in Jerusalem. Hook noted that the Jordanians had been complaining that they "weren't getting their calls returned" in Jerusalem, but now Israel has created a point of contact that should improve things. Mr. Barbosa agreed that they are maintaining contact, but added that the question of data gathering on the Mughrabi site remains a problem. ¶9. (C) Barbosa said that data was offered to Jordan by the Israelis, but this now has become a question of trust. Technically, Barbosa said the data needed by the Jordanians to work on their design plan is available, but he felt that Jordan would refuse it as a matter of principle, as they don't want to recognize Israeli authority over the site. Ultimately, Barbosa said, the Jordanians want Jerusalem returned to them. UNESCOPARI 12232315 002 OF 002 ¶10. (C) Ambassador Oliver said that the Jordanians consider the ramp as part of their holy site and that the question is one of functional sovereignty over the area. The Ambassador added that we are now getting down to the core issues, e.g. sovereignty - it is not in reality a technical issue. ¶11. (C) Barbosa said that other archeological sites will present similar problems, but that Mughrabi will be the reference case. Barbosa went on to say that given UNESCO's track record in mediating between the two, UNESCO should be present when, at some point in the future, the two parties discuss control of Jerusalem. He added that when they decide they need help, UNESCO will be ready to give it. ¶12. (C) Ambassador Oliver mentioned that one of the key factors regarding the Mughrabi Gate issue is whether it will be played out at the World Heritage Committee or at the Executive Board. She noted that there are now five Arab states among the twenty-one members of the World Heritage Committee, and that the U.S. and Israel will be ending their tenures next year. ¶13. (C) Barbosa agreed, and said that the April meeting of the Executive Board will be crucial, and that there is a big risk involved. Barbosa said that we need to explore and ensure that the new authorities in Israel, referring to the newly elected Mayor of Jerusalem and government chosen in the upcoming national elections, understand and recognize the role of UNESCO. Barbosa said that UNESCO wants Israel to be treated as a "normal" state. ¶14. (C) Finally, Ambassador Oliver spoke about the Holocaust Remembrance project, saying that we were pushing hard to move things forward. Barbosa said that he is working with Yad Vashem, and emphasized the need to get a full-time expert at UNESCO to handle the project. OLIVER