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R 171358Z FEB 10
FM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS FR
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RUCNSCO/UNESCO COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS FR 000185 
 
State for IO 
Department for Office of Environment and Science 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KPAO UNESCO SCUL
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY ZERHOUNI BRINGS MESSAGE OF SCIENCE AND 
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT IN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES TO UNESCO 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On February 10, Presidential Science Envoy Dr. 
Elias Zerhouni inaugurated his first official trip with a stop at 
UNESCO, where he met with key ambassadors, secretariat staff and the 
director general to promote President Obama's agenda of enhanced 
scientific and technological cooperation with the Muslim world. His 
message that data and information must be transformed into real, 
practical knowledge and that knowledge in turn must be transformed 
into jobs and economic development resonated deeply with his 
audience. Following the program at UNESCO, PAS Paris arranged a 
press roundtable with Dr. Zerhouni and journalists from several Arab 
and Muslim media outlets. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 10, Ambassador Killion hosted a roundtable 
discussion with Dr. Zerhouni, UNESCO secretariat staff and 
ambassadors and deputies from Nigeria, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi 
Arabia, Egypt, Malaysia, Senegal, Algeria and Afghanistan and ISESCO 
(the Islamic Science, Education, and Cultural Organization). In his 
remarks, Zerhouni noted that the Science Envoy initiative was not 
solely a U.S.-Muslim dialogue, but a global one; how can we share 
our knowledge to create local solutions, he asked. He mentioned 
three key elements of the program: using modern technologies to 
create opportunities; creating systems that fosters enterprise 
within individual countries at local levels; and creating centers of 
excellence that would build competencies that would lead to jobs in 
the real economy -- and not just deliver diplomas -- in key areas 
such as food and water security, renewable energy, climate change 
and public health. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Zerhouni also articulated the need for "informationists" - 
information specialists who could transform data into real knowledge 
at local levels. He also cited the need for science policy centers, 
as currently there are no real standards on how to transfer 
technology between organizations or governments. Responding to the 
Malaysian ambassador, who lamented that while the Islamic world was 
once the center of scientific innovation, since 1901 there have been 
only two Muslim Nobel laureates in the sciences, Zerhouni called for 
greater access to digital networks highlighting Islam's scientific 
heritage, but also greater access to contemporary scientific 
resources. 
 
¶4. (SBU) UNESCO's acting deputy director general, Hans D'Orville, 
expressed great enthusiasm for Zerhouni's words and his meeting with 
UNESCO and noted the very close alignment of UNESCO's goals and 
mandate and that of the envoy program. He described UNESCO as giving 
only ad hoc advice to member states, and as falling behind in 
creating real, sustainable networks. The Nigerian ambassador, 
referring to President Obama's Cairo speech, suggested that Muslim 
states create parallel science envoys at their own embassies, and 
also urged that local initiatives, such as the Nigerian Science 
Fund, needed support. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Both the Egyptian and Senegalese deputies questioned the 
merit of describing this program as one for the "Muslim" world, 
rather than the "developing" world. Investment and cooperation 
between African countries needed to be strengthened, across 
religious lines. Zerhouni agreed with this, but stated that 
President Obama had chosen the Muslim world as his starting point, 
but that the impact must be global. He also said that after 
listening to the discussion, he would take on board the ideas that 
south-south networking must be encouraged, and that each country's 
unique challenges merited a "bottom-up" approach. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In a separate meeting with Director-General Irina Bokova, 
Zerhouni emphasized the importance of science and technology 
programs that would have real impact and would lead to 
entrepreneurship and wealth creation. He proposed the idea of a 
UNESCO workshop on the theme "Nexus of Science and Technology 
Education and Job Creation," stating that there is no good, 
comprehensive study of the subject. The Director-General said that 
she would seriously consider the idea. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Zerhouni reiterated his earlier message that there was a 
need for centers of excellence which would train students in real 
competencies, and not just deliver diplomas. Science education must 
also include programs for women, as well as for young males whose 
unemployment remains the greatest factor in instability in fragile 
parts of the world. Talking about sharing scientific and 
technological expertise, he said, "Science and technology do not 
have borders," and can be enhanced by ICTs. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Director-General expressed her delight with Zerhouni's 
message, also noting the parallels with UNESCO's work. She asked for 
continued support of the SESAME (Middle East regional synchrotron) 
project, and spoke of UNESCO's skill at being an honest broker, with 
a primary role in bridge-building and creating inclusive societies. 
In response to Zerhouni's question on how to improve universities in 
target countries, she mentioned ICTs for teacher training and a 
focus on quality education. Both agreed that it was critical to 
increase and promote capacities in science and technology in order 
 
PARIS 00000185  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
to for real development to take place. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment: Dr. Zerhouni could not have presented a better 
message to our UNESCO colleagues. As he pointed out in all his 
conversations, the synergies between the science envoy program and 
UNESCO's own mandate are significant. Our audience responded with 
delight and enthusiasm, and expressed a real commitment to work 
together on creating greater access to science and technology in the 
Muslim world, as well as on a global level. We would like to invite 
Dr. Zerhouni to return to UNESCO as he and the other science envoys 
develop their ideas and possible projects. We will also follow up 
with the secretariat on his suggestion of a UNESCO workshop. End 
comment. 
 
Killion