VZCZCXRO1550
PP RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0834 1301629
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101629Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8883
INFO RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 4338
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 9819
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 6619
RUEANAT/NASA HQ WASHDC

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000834 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/SAT FECHAVARRIA 
STATE FOR WHA/BPOPP 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO GLOBE OFFICE FOR TKENNEDY 
STATE FOR OES/STC LBLANCAS 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO NASA FOR MMOORE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KGLB TBIO KSCA OSCI BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL EXPRESSES RESERVATIONS ABOUT SIGNING THE GLOBE MOU 
 
REF:   APRIL 21, 2007 EMAIL 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  After previously indicating that it was ready to 
participate in the NASA GLOBE program, a K-12 science program for 
the schools, the GoB has reversed itself stating that since the 
United States has not ratified the Convention on Biological 
Diversity, the GoB could not be sure that the environmental data 
sent by students to the United States would be protected. The 
Ministry said the MOU governing the GLOBE program may have to be 
renegotiated.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  In a meeting with Dr. Alessandro Candeas, Director of 
International Affairs in Brazil's Ministry of Education, to discuss 
the Government of Brazil's (GoB) participation in the GLOBE program, 
Post learned that the subject had been the topic of an interagency 
meeting organized by the Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty) several weeks 
ago. Dr. Candeas said that even though the Ministry of Education had 
earlier indicated that Brazil was ready to sign the MOU, there were 
now concerns about whether the text as written offered adequate 
protection for Brazil's natural resources. 
 
¶3.  The major problem is that since the United States has signed but 
not ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, the GoB cannot 
be sure that the environmental data collected by the Brazilian 
students as part of the GLOBE program and sent to NASA would be 
adequately protected. 
 
¶4.  Post asked Dr. Alessandro if the fact that the United States had 
not ratified the CBD was a make or break point, because the decision 
to ratify rested in the hands of the U.S. Congress. Alessandro said 
without ratification, the GoB would want to renegotiate parts of the 
text of the GLOBE MOU to add the assurances needed for the 
protection of biological material.   He said a revised text would 
focus more on education, and less on "collecting" data to send to 
the United States. 
 
¶5.  In addition, Dr. Alessandro said that the GoB would like 
Brazilian scientists to have more participation in the processing of 
the data collected by students and sent to NASA.  As interpreted by 
the GoB, under the GLOBE MOU, Brazil students and teachers would 
send material to NASA, it would be "processed" then data sent back 
to Brazil.  Brazil wants to be involved in the "processing" Dr. 
Alessandro said. 
 
¶6.  Dr. Alessandro ended the meeting by saying the GoB thinks GLOBE 
is an important program and would be willing to renegotiate the MOU. 
 
 
¶7.  Post was also told that the "Continued Education, Literacy and 
Diversity Secretariat" of the Ministry of Education does not repeat 
not have the legal authority under Brazilian law to sign the GLOBE 
MOU because it does not have the authority to waive customs duties 
or taxes for equipment entering the country. 
 
¶8. Post is very disappointed at this reversal.  We request guidance 
on whether the GLOBE MOU can be customized for individual countries 
and if NASA would be willing to do so for Brazil. 
 
SOBEL