This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

090930Z Aug 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 005417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EB/IFD/ODF AND IO/T 
 
STATE PASS USTR FOR BALASSA/BLISS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL EAID ETRD KIPR FR PREL UNESCO
SUBJECT: FRENCH DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE PUTS HIGH PRIORITY ON 
"CULTURE" 
 
REF A. Paris 4568 
 
    ¶B. Paris 5146 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.   At the GoF's' annual conference on 
France's development priorities, Foreign Minister Douste- 
Blazy underlined the importance of a European identity in 
forming development policy and cited the support that 
effective policies could bring to broader anti-terror 
efforts.  Both Douste-Blazy and Culture Minister Renaud 
Donnedieu de Vabres highlighted the important role of 
culture in French foreign and development policy.  End 
summary. 
 
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Douste-Blazy addresses "the troops" 
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¶2. (SBU) In his address to the 19-20 July conference, 
Minister Douste-Blazy stressed the role of development 
assistance and cultural politics in foreign policy-- 
declaring that culture, international assistance and 
diplomacy were all key elements of France's foreign policy. 
Douste-Blazy urged better coordination so that French 
international assistance activities project one coherent 
message.  Douste-Blazy outlined three great challenges for 
France's international development assistance: 
 
     --Creating European identity: in the wake of the 
rejected EU Constitution in France, Douste-Blazy stated that 
all of France should actively reflect on how it projects its 
development assistance, i.e. alone or within the EU.  Also 
part of this debate is how the EU interposes itself between 
the nation-state and globalization.  The upcoming UK-hosted 
summit in October to analyze the future of Europe is an 
opportunity to ponder these questions; 
 
     --Terrorism and diversity: Following the London 
bombings, Douste-Blazy meditated on the effects of terrorism 
on French/European culture and politics.  Douste-Blazy urged 
French citizens to remain faithful to values of tolerance 
and international service and to advance intercultural 
dialogue.  Although diversity is often a target of 
terrorists, he said France should remain steadfast in its 
support of cultural diversity and humanist values; 
 
     --Ensuring that development aid strengthens security: 
Douste-Blazy said the fight against poverty not only 
demonstrated compassion but helped make the world a safer 
and more secure place.  France has long advanced the need to 
increase development aid and Douste-Blazy said he was 
pleased that Tony Blair and the G8 had raised the profile of 
this issue. 
 
¶3. (SBU) As former physician and minister of Health, Douste- 
Blazy also highlighted health concerns in the developing 
world, including AIDS and epidemics of treatable diseases 
(for lack of generic medicine access). Douste-Blazy lauded 
the unilateral actions of U.S. President Bush and Brazilian 
President Lula in the area of pharmaceutical outreach in sub- 
Saharan Africa.  He held up these countries as an example 
for France. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Douste-Blazy unfavorably contrasted European 
efforts in research and development and technology with 
those of the U.S.  Following a recent visit to the United 
States, Douste-Blazy said he was amazed by U.S. spending of 
USD 100 billion on nanotechnology and biotechnology "at a 
moment where Europe is incapable of an integrated research 
policy".  In the face of job relocation and other 
globalization worries, Douste-Blazy hailed the U.S. focus on 
"green power" and technologies of the future as solid 
economic investments. 
 
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DOUSTE-BLAZY ON GLOBAL CHALLENGES 
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¶5. (SBU) Douste-Blazy took the opportunity to outline three 
major priorities of French foreign policy dealing with 
global challenges: 
 
     --Increasing development aid to combat economic 
inequalities; 
 
     --Leading a "dialogue between civilizations" to promote 
cultural diversity and respect for universal principles in 
an era of cultural cleavages; 
 
     --Improving the capacity of France to produce and 
diffuse knowledge. 
 
¶6. (U) Douste-Blazy also cited statistics regarding the U.S. 
audiovisual industry influence and its consequences for 
French cultural influence: Hollywood studios, he said, 
produce eighty-five percent of films shown across the world 
and nine of the ten most-translated authors in the world are 
Anglophones.  This domination of audiovisual and even 
printed media by Anglophones is an economic as well as 
cultural concern for France.  In a society plagued by high 
unemployment, Douste-Blazy noted that the cultural sector 
provides 439,000 jobs in France and 2.5 percent of European 
employment.  He singled out tourism as a golden opportunity 
for French cultural diplomacy, as France is the number-one 
tourist destination in the world. 
 
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ATTRACTING MORE STUDENTS TO FRANCE 
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¶7. (SBU) Another main goal of French foreign policy is to 
strengthen the position of France in higher education. 
Douste-Blazy said he would like to see France become the 
leading foreign student destination.  He expressed a strong 
desire for France to welcome upper-level students in the 
domains of science, management, finance and other technical 
fields.  Douste-Blazy said the ramifications of French 
success in attracting foreign students and researchers were 
not only the improvement of the image of the country 
internationally, but the success of its economic 
development. 
 
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CULTURAL POLICY: IDENTITY, EUROPE AND EMPLOYMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) French Minister of Culture and Communication 
Donnedieu de Vabres reflected on the importance of cultural 
diplomacy in an era of globalization: France must remain 
open to the world without renouncing its unique identity and 
culture.  Donnedieu de Vabres spoke of the threat of 
standardization, contrasting it with the French desire to 
see cultural identities maintained in a framework of 
pluralism and mutual respect.  Donnedieu de Vabres said 
France's cultural diplomacy is currently a key component of 
the government's political strategy designed to respond to 
France's and Europe's current identity crisis. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Other GOF officials, including minister-delegate of 
European Affairs Catherine Colonna (former Chirac press 
spokesperson) also proclaimed that cultural diversity was a 
priority for French foreign policy.  Brigitte Girardin, 
minister-delegate for aid, development and francophone 
communities, cited the promotion of French language and 
culture as one of her major priorities.  France's notion of 
cultural diversity includes both exportation of French 
culture and encouraging the use of the French language 
abroad as well as the encouragement of multiculturalism. 
 
¶10. (SBU) GOF officials at the conference also cited the 
UNESCO convention on cultural diversity, a key component of 
French cultural diversity efforts.  France has been the 
driving force behind this proposed convention, which will 
recognize its long-sought goal of a "cultural exception", 
i.e., the uniqueness of cultural goods and the right of each 
nation to define its own cultural politics.  Donnedieu de 
Vabres, Douste-Blazy and other GOF officials stated that the 
GOF is strongly campaigning for the adoption of this 
cultural diversity convention by this fall.  The passage of 
the UNESCO convention would mark the codification of 
cultural diversity into international law. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Donnedieu de Vabres proposed three initiatives for 
a European cultural policy: 
     -- The establishment of a permanent Parliament of 
Culture, modeled after the European Cultural Ministers' 
meeting held May 2-3, 2005 in Paris (REF A); 
 
     -- The creation of a European Culture Charter: To date, 
nineteen European culture ministers have adopted the 
declaration formulated at the May 2005 Paris meeting of 
European culture ministers. France is advocating the 
adoption of a legally binding document that resembles the 
pending UNESCO charter on cultural diversity; 
 
     -- The advancement of European cultural programs that 
could include the designation of new European heritage sites 
and the financing of subtitling of films to promote 
"European" creations.  Minister-delegate Colonna highlighted 
an ongoing French project to create a European digital 
library to compete with a digital library project 
spearheaded recently by Google, the Internet search engine. 
 
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Comment 
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¶12. (SBU) The UNESCO debate on the Convention for Cultural 
Diversity is not the only arena in which France is seeking 
to strengthen its position on cultural issues.  The GOF 
appears to be strengthening its efforts to use culture as a 
means to leverage France's influence in the world, 
particular among recipients of development assistance. 
Emphasizing an alleged "solidarity" with developing 
countries, France uses the "soft power" of the cultural 
diversity issue and its education programs to boost its 
authority on the world stage. 
 
HOFMANN