Peru Will Consider United States Candidacy for WHO Executive

UNCLAS LIMA 001834 SENSITIVE SIPDIS SIPDIS IO/HS FOR ABLACKWOOD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC PREL TBIO EAID WHO PE SUBJECT: Peru Will Consider United States Candidacy for WHO Executive Board; Continues Hoping Candidate Countries Will Reach Consensus REF: STATE 117699 ¶1. (U) ECONOFF delivered reftel talking points requesting support for US membership on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) officials on November 24. MFA officials included Ana PE????A Doig, Director of Social Policy, Maria MERINO de Hart, Director General of Social Diplomacy, and Ana Lucia NIETO Frias, First Secretary, Directorate General of United Nations Organizations and Multilateral Policy. ¶2. (SBU) Pe????a advised that Peru has anticipated that the reduction to three candidate countries would be reached by agreement between the four candidate countries. Merino said that the Government of Peru (GoP) has not begun to consider who it would support should WHO Executive Board membership be put to a vote. Nevertheless, Pe????a promised to move the United States official request to higher levels in the Ministry in a supportive manner. ¶3. (SBU) When asked for ideas on how to effectively press candidate countries for consensus, the only response was from Pe????a, who noted that Peru had decided to delay its candidacy for another year. ¶4. (U) The interlocutors also acknowledged the tremendous impression that President Obama has had on the world and expressed hope for many positive multilateral developments under his administration. MCKINLEY