Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10UNESCOPARISFR87
2010-01-27 07:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Mission UNESCO
Cable title:  

UNESCO ASKS US TO PROTECT HAITI'S MUSEUMS

Tags:  AORC KPKO SCUL HA PREL UNESCO 
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VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #0087 0270741
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270741Z JAN 10
FM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS FR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
UNCLAS UNESCO PARIS FR 000087 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR HAITI TASK FORCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC KPKO SCUL HA PREL UNESCO
SUBJECT: UNESCO ASKS US TO PROTECT HAITI'S MUSEUMS

UNCLAS UNESCO PARIS FR 000087

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR HAITI TASK FORCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC KPKO SCUL HA PREL UNESCO
SUBJECT: UNESCO ASKS US TO PROTECT HAITI'S MUSEUMS


1. Summary. UNESCO contacted U.S. Mission UNESCO and the
Department, January 25, seeking help to protect and preserve Haiti's
cultural artifacts. Citing the large U.S. military presence in
Haiti, the UNESCO Culture Section asked whether some U.S. troops
could be deployed to protect cultural sites and museums. UNESCO
agreed to coordinate their preservation efforts with the appropriate
UN offices in New York and Port au Prince and provide additional
information on UN plans for managing this task. End Summary.


2. UNESCO, concerned about possible looting of damaged museums and
cultural sites in Haiti, is seeking assistance from the U.S. and
other states to secure those sites. Karalyn Monteil, UNESCO Museums
and Cultural Section officer, asked that the U.S. dedicate some of
its forces to protecting Haiti's cultural heritage. She reported
that UNESCO plans to send an inter-sectoral mission to Haiti in
early February. They are contacting INTERPOL, the World Customs
Organization (WCO),the specialized French (Office Centrale de lute
Contre le traffic de Biens Culturels) and Italian police forces for
the protection of cultural heritage (Caribineri),the International
Council of Museums (ICOM),the International Committee of the Blue
Shield (ICBS) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS) in order to coordinate emergency plans and actions. UNESCO
is also mobilizing the cultural and artistic community in Haiti to
form a local network of expertise for reconstruction efforts in the
culture field.


3. Following up on Department's request for information on UN
system coordination, Deputy Chief of Mission asked UNESCO Deputy
Assistant Director General Morgens Schmidt, head of the Haiti
Assistance Task Force, whether the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH) would be coordinating protection of cultural property in
Haiti and whether he could provide information contact information.
Schmidt said that UNESCO is contacting the UN Department of
Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in New York and MINUSTAH today,
January 26, to arrange for the UN to take on the role of
coordinating international efforts to protect cultural property in
Haiti. He undertook to obtain additional information.


4. Note. While MINUSTAH makes arrangements to coordinate this
effort, we note that coordination was stressed by the UN at the
"Friends of Haiti" meeting yesterday in Montreal. UN officials
there said that coordination is complicated by the number of people
working on the ground, many new to the country, who have different
backgrounds, priorities and perspectives. To address this, the UN
joint operations and tasking centre - comprising the UN Office for
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),MINUSTAH, the United
States military and the Canadian military - will officially begin
work today. End note)

KILLION