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

170943Z May 06

UNCLAS PARIS 003258 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO
SUBJECT:  CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION MOVES DOWN THE TRACKS 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  The UNESCO secretariat says it intends to promote 
the Convention on the Promotion and Protection of the Diversity of 
Cultural Expressions (aka the cultural diversity convention) as part 
of a package of conventions dealing with cultural diversity broadly 
defined.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Senior Legal Advisor Peay and DCM met May 15 with Katerina 
Stenou, Director of Division of Cultural policies at UNESCO. 
Stenou's section was responsible for the drafting of the cultural 
expressions convention and will now be responsible for the 
Convention's implementation.  Stenou said that she was responsible 
for the formulation used by the Director-General (DG) at the last 
Executive Board that linked the Cultural Expressions Convention 
within the 2003 Intangible Cultural Convention and the 1972 World 
Heritage Convention.  (Note: the Intangible cultural convention has 
just gone into effect, 30 months after its passage, a record for 
adoption of a UNESCO convention.  Cultural expressions partisans 
have expressed the hope they can move even faster.  The U.S. was the 
first signatory of the 1972 World Heritage Convention.) 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The DG effectively used this linkage during the recent 
Executive Board to bat away an incessant stream of questions from 
the French and Canadians asking what the Secretariat plans to do to 
implement the cultural expressions convention. Stenou noted that the 
Canadians were dissatisfied with her answer and that she shas since 
received a long letter from the Canadian Ambassador. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Stenou also said that her division is currently formulating 
a set of questions and answers about the Convention. She would not 
share the draft but indicated that the document will make it clear 
that the Convention is is not to be used to contravene existing 
trade agreements.  (Note:  Stenou reinforced this message in a 
public meeting about cultural diversity at UNESCO headquarters on 
May 16.)  This will be part of a package that will also include the 
texts of all three cultural conventions. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Stenou expressed some concern that her direct channel to 
the DG on implementing the Convention will be lost when the new 
French head of the cultural sector is officially appointed in the 
coming days. That will not stop Stenou from representing UNESCO at 
an upcoming Francophonie Ministers meeting in Rabat.  (Comment: The 
irony of the Francophonie Organization--an organization united by a 
language imposed by colonialism--pushing for "Cultural Diversity", 
seems to be lost on the organizations' membership.) Stenou did 
indicate that she has heard grumbling from African Ambassadors who 
are unhappy with the results of the Convention.  Stenou also pointed 
out that the final declaration of the EU-Latin America summit in 
Vienna last weekend included a point calling for cooperation between 
the two groups to get the cultural expressions convention passed as 
soon as possible. 
Oliver