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

201314Z Jan 06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000384 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO 
 
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO DOUG ROHN, IO/S LISA SPRATT 
 
E.O. 12958:     N/A 
TAGS: AORC EAID UNESCO
SUBJECT:  UNESCO:  GENEVA GROUP SETS WORKPLAN FOR COMING 
MONTHS 
 
 
¶1.  This is a guidance request, please see Para 2. 
 
¶2.  AT THE JANUARY 12 GENEVA GROUP MEETING, CHAIRED BY 
THE UK, PARTICIPANTS GAVE PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT TO THE 
DRAFT WORK PLAN (SEE PARA 5) FOR THE COMING MONTHS.  THIS 
IS TO BE A ROLLING DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT 
FUTURE MEETINGS AND UPDATED AS NECESSARY.  AT THE NEXT 
MEETING (FEBRUARY 13, 2006), GENEVA GROUP MEMBERS WILL 
SEEK TO CONFIRM MAIN WORK THEMES AND IDENTIFY MORE 
PRECISE OBJECTIVES, AS WELL AS SUGGEST OTHER AREAS OF 
FINANICAL MANAGEMENT TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE GROUP. 
IF DEPARTMENT HAS GUIDANCE TO OFFER ON GENEVA GROUP WORK 
PLAN, POST REQUESTS THAT IT BE CONVEYED IN ADVANCE OF THE 
FEBRUARY 13 GENEVA GROUP MEETING. 
 
¶3.  IT WAS AGREED THAT DECENTRALIZATION IS CLEARLY AN 
ISSUE OF CONCERN FOR THE GROUP.  AMBASSADOR OLIVER 
STRESSED THAT DECENTRALIZATION MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY 
INCREASED ACCOUNTABILITY BY FIELD OFFICES, AS WELL AS 
TRANSPARENCY.  IN THE RUN-UP TO THE 174TH EXECUTIVE BOARD 
(MARCH-APRIL 2006), MEMBERS AGREED, THE GENEVA GROUP WILL 
DECIDE WHAT SPECIFIC GUIDANCE THE EXECUTIVE BOARD SHOULD 
GIVE TO THE SECRETARIAT ON DECENTRALIZATION. 
 
¶4. FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE GENEVA GROUP: 
 
FEBRUARY 13, 2006:  HANS D'ORVILLE, CHIEF OF THE OFFICE 
OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, HAS AGREED TO DISCUSS PREPARATIONS 
FOR THE C/4 AND C/5  (MEDIUM-TERM STRATEGY AND BUDGET 
DOCUMENTS), AS WELL AS SISTER, THE SYSTEM BY WHICH UNESCO 
TRACKS THE RESULTS OF ITS PROGRAMS. 
 
MARCH 2006:  THE CANADIAN EXTERNAL AUDITOR -- MS. NANCY 
CHENG -- WILL BE VISITING PARIS; AT THIS POINT, HER FINAL 
REPORT WILL BE OFFICIAL.  THE CANADIAN DELEGATION WILL 
ARRANGE A MEETING FOR MS. CHENG WITH THE GENEVA GROUP. 
 
EXECUTIVE BOARD PREPARATIONS:  ALSO IN MARCH, THE GENEVA 
GROUP WILL MEET WITH EXECUTIVE BOARD SECRETARY PARSURAMEN 
TO DISCUSS THE THREE ORGANS AND THE FORTHCOMING EXECUTIVE 
BOARD.  ANOTHER GENEVA GROUP MEETING WILL BE HELD 
IMMEDIATELY BEFORE  THE MEETING OF THE GROUP OF EXPERTS 
ON FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.  EXTRA-BUDGETARY 
FUNDING WILL BE DISCUSSED WHEN THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 
SECRETARIAT ISSUES PAPERS FOR THE 174TH SESSION, EITHER 
 
SIPDIS 
AT THE MEETING THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE 
THE BOARD OR AT THE MEETING WITH PARSURAMEN. 
 
¶5.  TEXT OF THE PROPOSED GENEVA GROUP WORK PLAN (2006): 
 
Objectives 
 
At the time of the submission of our last report to 
Geneva, we agreed the following broad objectives for the 
work of the group: 
 
Continue to support and monitor the Director-General's 
reforms; 
 
Ensure that the principle of results-based management is 
fully applied to the programme and budget for 2006 - 2007 
with further concentration and prioritisation of the 
programme, the introduction of sunset clauses for all new 
activities and the phasing out of lower priority 
activities; 
 
Ensure that the decentralisation and new staff strategies 
to be presented at the April Executive Board will provide 
the most effective means to achieve agreed objectives; 
 
Follow closely the implementation of the recommendations 
of the External Auditor concerning the 2002-2003 biennium 
which were presented in 2004 and follow up on past 
recommendations; 
 
Continue to follow closely developments relating to extra 
budgetary funding, taking into particular account the 
effectiveness and relevance to the high priority 
programmes; 
 
Ensure the adoption by the General Conference and 
implementation by the Secretariat of those 
recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Working Group on the 
Relations between the Three Organs which meet the Geneva 
Group's objectives, including the issue of the loss of 
voting rights at the General Conference for Member States 
in arrears. 
 
Ongoing Work 
 
We are continuing to pursue the above objectives.  Our 
current principal areas of focus are: 
 
evaluation/oversight.  We had a useful meeting with John 
Parsons in December.  After that meeting the IOS 
completed a questionnaire on oversight in UNESCO (sent to 
Geneva).  There will be a number of areas for the Group 
to watch in coming months. 
 
decentralisation.  The subject of our next meeting, 
including a presentation from Ms Lamia Salman, on 12 
January.  This will include the new procedures for the 
production of country and regional strategies. 
Results-based management and the C4/C5 processes.  We 
hope to have an update on this in February from Hans 
d'Orville. 
 
Governance.  The possible subject of a future meeting, 
perhaps in March with Mr. Parsuramen.  The Geneva Group 
can look at issues such as the working methods of the 
Board. 
 
Before the next Board we may, therefore, aim for the 
above three meetings and include, or have an additional 
meeting to discuss, issues for the next Executive Board, 
and finalisation of our next report to Geneva. 
 
Specific Achievements (April-December 2005) 
 
input to Board discussion on RBM, decentralisation, human 
resources; 
 
considerable input to discussions on the recommendations 
on the Three Organs; 
 
our influence on the latest C5, including the methodology 
and format, prioritisation and concentration of 
programmes, the ceiling of $610 million, and the special 
supplementary budget of $25 million; 
 
General Conference Resolution on the C4. 
 
Specific Work Ahead 
 
Members of the Group will wish to discuss at our next 
meetings the production of a few specific objectives for 
action fitting into the above framework.  They may wish 
to highlight other areas of financial management, such as 
extra-budgetary resources or slowness in budgetary 
disbursement, where we are not currently concentrating 
much of our efforts.  End Text of the Proposed Geneva 
Group Work Plan. 
Oliver