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

301535Z Mar 06

UNCLAS PARIS 002081 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SCUL FR UNESCO
SUBJECT:  USUNESCO:  GENERAL INFORMATION MEETING ON 
THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AGAINST DOPING IN SPORTS 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  UNESCO DIRECTOR GENERAL MATSUURA 
ANTICIPATES THAT THE ANTI-DOPING CONVENTION WILL BE IN 
FORCE BY MAY 2006.  UNESCO IS PREPARING A NEW 
COMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATION PROGRAM AIMED AT WORLD 
YOUTH TO HIGHLIGHT THE DANGERS OF DRUG DOPING IN 
SPORT. MATSUURA BELIEVES THE CONVENTION WILL FOCUS 
INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION ON UNESCO AND WILL DEMONSTRATE 
UNESCO'S RELEVANCE AND ABILITY TO ADAPT TO THE WORLD'S 
CHANGING NEEDS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.   UNESCO DIRECTOR GENERAL MATSUURA SPOKE THIS PAST 
FRIDAY MORNING, 24 MARCH 2006, TO A GENERAL 
INFORMATION MEETING ON THE RATIFICATION AND 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AGAINST 
DOPING IN SPORTS AT UNESCO HEADQUARTERS WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY 
CONSENSUS AT UNESCO'S 2005 GENERAL CONFERENCE.  HAVING BEEN 
SUCCESSFUL IN ENSURING THAT KEY ELEMENTS OF THE CONVENTION 
ARE ACCEPTABLE TO US, THE U.S. WAS ABLE TO JOIN THE 
CONSENSUS. 
 
¶3.  DG MATSUURA ANNOUNCED THAT 10 COUNTRIES HAD 
ALREADY RATIFIED THE CONVENTION (SWEDEN, CANADA, 
DENMARK, NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY, AUSTRALIA, MONACO, 
ICELAND, THE COOK ISLANDS, AND NIGERIA).  HE 
ANTICIPATES THAT RATIFICATION BY THE 30 COUNTRIES 
NEEDED TO BRING THE CONVENTION INTO FORCE WILL BE 
ACCOMPLISHED BY MAY 2006.  THE CONVENTION BECOMES 
INTERNATIONAL LAW ONE MONTH AFTER 30 COUNTRIES HAVE RATIFIED 
THE AGREEMENT. 
 
¶4.  MATSUURA ANTICIPATES THE CONVENTION WILL BE IN 
FORCE PRIOR TO THE START OF SOCCER'S WORLD CUP, BEING 
HELD IN GERMANY FROM 9 JUNE TO 9 JULY.  MATSUURA WILL 
BE ATTENDING A SEMI-FINAL GAME, AND INTENDS TO USE THE 
VISIT TO COMMUNICATE ON UNESCO'S ROLE IN ANTI-DOPING. 
HE STRESSED HIS DESIRE THAT MEMBER STATES TAKE STEPS 
TO PUT THE CONVENTION INTO EFFECT AS QUICKLY AS 
POSSIBLE. 
 
¶5.   THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR INTERVENED AND MENTIONED THAT 
THE RATIFICATION PROCESS IN GERMANY IS A SLOW ONE, 
REQUIRING THE CONSENT OF 16 STATES, AND THE NEED TO 
TRANSLATE THE CONVENTION DOCUMENT INTO A STANDARD 
GERMAN THAT WILL BE LEGALLY ACCEPTABLE GIVEN THE 
REGIONAL VARIATIONS OF THE LANGUAGE. 
 
 
¶6.  THE ISSUE OF THE TIMING OF MEMBER STATE'S 
RATIFICATION IS IMPORTANT AS ONLY THOSE MEMBER STATES 
WHICH HAVE RATIFIED THE CONVENTION THREE MONTHS BEFORE 
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF PARTIES MAY 
PARTICIPATE.  THE FIRST COMMITTEE OF PARTIES MEETING, 
WHICH TAKES PLACE ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS, IS TENTATIVELY 
SCHEDULED FOR 20-21 JULY AT UNESCO HEADQUARTERS.  IT WILL BE 
AT THIS MEETING THAT THE BASIC RULES OF THE ROAD REGARDING 
THE CONVENTION'S ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS 
WILL BE SET.  AMONG THE PRINCIPAL ACTIONS TAKEN WILL ALSO BE 
THE ADOPTION OF THE LIST OF PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES FOR THE 
YEAR 2006. 
 
¶7.  MATSUURA ANNOUNCED THAT UNESCO WILL UNDERTAKE A 
MAJOR COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN REGARDING THE CONVENTION 
TO PROMOTE ANTI-DOPING EDUCATION AND INCREASE 
AWARENESS OF SUCH ISSUES AS SPORTS ETHICS, EQUITABLE 
COMPETITION, AND FAIR PLAY.  A NEW WEB SITE WILL BE 
CREATED TO COMMUNICATE THE MESSAGE WORLDWIDE WITH 
SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. 
MATSUURA ALSO MENTIONED THAT A SPORTS CHAMPION WILL BE 
RECRUITED TO PROMOTE THE PROGRAM. 
 
Oliver