VZCZCXRO8451
OO RUEHAT
DE RUEHC #6224/01 3410055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 070047Z DEC 06
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 0625

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 196224 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS, UNVIE FOR BOLAND AND SOLOMON, AMMAN FOR PAO, JAKARTA FOR PAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL OIIP KCOR KPAO KTIA UN
SUBJECT: HIGHLIGHTING THE U.S. ROLE IN THE UN CORRUPTION  CONVENTION 
(UNCAC) CONFERENCE 
 
STATE 00196224  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
MONTREAL FOR USICAO, ROME FOR USUN ROME, PARIS FOR USUNESCO, 
NAIROBI FOR USUNEP 
 
For Political Counselors, PAOs and NAS Directors from IO 
Bureau. 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an ACTION REQUEST.  Please see paras 7 and 
9 for action. 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2. (U) On November 29, 2006, the United States became a 
party to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption 
(UNCAC).  The Department issued a Media Note to that 
effect on the same day.  The UNCAC marks a milestone in 
U.S. efforts to combat global corruption.  UNCAC is the 
first international anticorruption agreement to be applied 
on a global scale.  It is a comprehensive treaty that 
contains, inter alia, two particularly innovative 
chapters; one that commits governments to take preventive 
measures against corruption; and another that develops a 
framework for international cooperation on asset 
recovery.  As of November 29, UNCAC had 140 signatories 
and 80 parties, including the United States. 
 
¶3. (U) The First Conference of States Parties (COSP) for 
UNCAC will take place at the Dead Sea, Jordan, from 
December 10 to 14, 2006.  The U.S. Delegation to the COSP 
will be lead by Bureau of International Narcotics and Law 
Enforcement (INL) Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) 
Elizabeth Verville.  The COSP in Jordan is expected to 
begin to consider ways that parties can best promote 
implementation of the UNCAC.  The role of technical 
assistance to promote implementation of the UNCAC is also 
anticipated to be a major focus of the Conference.  As we 
did during the UNCAC negotiations, the U.S. will take an 
active role in seeking to shape and influence the results 
of the Conference. 
 
¶4. (U) To take advantage of this unique moment, IO, INL, 
EB, and IIP have coordinated with regional bureaus to 
develop a PD Strategy that takes advantage of this 
unprecedented occasion.  The PD Strategy enunciated in 
this cable highlights the leading U.S. role in negotiating 
and concluding the UNCAC, as well as the long-standing and 
on-going U.S. commitment to fighting corruption 
internationally.  We believe this strategy will augment 
posts' existing anti-corruption programs.  It will also 
help posts to emphasize that international consensus and 
political will now exist to change behaviors and practices 
that enable corruption to occur. 
 
¶5. (U) The PD strategy that Washington has developed draws 
heavily on existing tools, such DVCs, web chats, and print 
and web publications, to deliver messages on four broad 
themes.  At the same time there is sufficient flexibility 
to permit participating posts to tailor content to meet 
the needs of their specific markets. 
 
--------------- 
Webchat Program 
--------------- 
 
¶6. (U) On December 12, IIP will host a webchat on the 
USG's global anti-corruption efforts and the U.S. role in 
developing the UNCAC.  The 60-minute chat, entitled 
"Combating Corruption: The U.S. Role in Developing the 
United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)," 
will begin at 7:00 am Washington time (12:00 noon GMT), 
and feature, from Washington, IO DAS Gerald Anderson and 
EB Bureau's Andew Haviland, and joining from Jordan, the 
US Head of Delegation to UNCAC and INL Acting DAS, 
Elizabeth Verville.  The broad topic will be the U.S. role 
in developing UNCAC and the USG's global anti-corruption 
efforts.  Subtopics may include, (1) countering corruption 
through UN Reform; (2) the U.S. as good multilateral 
citizen; (3) the economic costs of corruption; and (4) 
U.S. methods of enforcing anti-corruption statutes.  This 
time slot of this chat is designed to reach the broadest 
global participation, although the Department recognizes 
that the timing of this chat may not be conducive to live 
participation at some posts in some time zones.  As with 
other webchats, IIP will make a transcript available and 
some of these principals would be available to augment 
post-specific messages via a separate DVC, if desired. 
 
STATE 00196224  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
Posts should direct interested participants to visit IIP's 
USINFO Webchat station at 
http://unsinfo.state.gov/usinfo/Products/Webc hats.html for 
information about how to join the discussion. 
Participation requires a one-time registration at 
http://webchat.state.gov/register/register.cf m.  Questions 
about how IIP webchats work can be directed to 
usinfowebchat"at"state.gov.  IIP webchats are designed to 
accept questions in advance, allowing posts to 
"participate" even if not during the live event itself. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
----------- 
Digital Video Conference (DVC) or Tele-Press Conference 
(TPC) Programs 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
----------- 
 
¶7. (U) ACTION REQUEST.  Posts are encouraged to consider 
whether a DVC or TPC event might also be useful and 
appropriate for their respective market.  Beginning Dec 
7th, IO is prepared to facilitate requests from posts to 
provide speakers on the themes noted in para 6 above or on 
other corruption-related themes.  While IO is particularly 
interested in supporting topics directly related to the 
UNCAC and the COSP; and to showcase the U.S. as a good 
multilateral partner; under this multi-bureau cooperative 
effort, we will work to facilitate other requests for 
corruption-related programs.  Requests should be directed 
to POC: Jesse Curtis in IO/PPC via email 
CurtisJS"at"state.gov (Unclass), 
CurtisJS"at"state.sgov.gov (CLAN) or by phone at (202) 
647-6882.  Post are requested to copy their respective 
desk and PD Action Officers on any requests.  IIP Bureau 
also reminds posts that anti-corruption has been 
identified as part of a theme for its Strategic Speakers 
Program and expects to offer speakers related to the 
subject under that program as well. 
 
------------------ 
IIP Bureau Support 
------------------ 
 
¶8. (U) IIP Bureau is providing key support for this 
multi-bureau strategy.  IIP's electronic eJournal, 
"Transforming the Culture of Corruption," will be released 
on December 13, 2006--coinciding with the final days of 
the COSP event in Jordan--and it will be highlighted on 
the USINFO front page.  Embassy webmasters will be alerted 
in advance so that embassy web sites may link to it as 
appropriate.  The existing page, "Bribery and Corruption" 
will link to all the most recent materials for the 
overseas audience at 
http://usinfo.state.gov/ei/economic_issues/br ibery_and_corr 
uption.html.  Each article will provide links to available 
translations.  Currently Google ranks this page at the top 
for searches on "bribery and corruption" among more than 
one million competing pages, and we are confident that, as 
new material gets published, this prominence will 
continue.  In addition to the support from the Webchat and 
DVC teams, USINFO (formerly Washington File) will cover 
the conference and related corruption issues through 
stories and features on USINFO.  Posts are encouraged to 
provide USINFO with additional story ideas or product 
support that would be useful to the field. 
 
-------------- 
Talking Points 
-------------- 
 
¶9. (U) ACTION REQUEST.  As part of this global public 
diplomacy strategy, the Department is providing the below 
previous-cleared press guidance talking points that were 
prepared when the U.S. became a party to UNCAC.  Posts are 
encouraged to draw from these points and proactively 
engage media and host country contacts and government 
counterparts in discussing the UNCAC, the COSP event, USG 
anti-corruption efforts, and related themes. 
 
BEGIN SUGGESTED PRESS GUIDANCE TALKING POINTS. 
 
Q: What is the significance of the United Nations 
Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)? 
 
-- UNCAC is the first international anticorruption 
agreement to be applied on a global level.  There are 
currently 140 signatories and 80 parties, including the 
United States, which became a party to UNCAC on November 
29, 2006. 
 
-- UNCAC is a focal point for international anticorruption 
action.  Many countries are already citing it as the new 
 
STATE 00196224  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
international standard for developing an effective 
anticorruption regime.  Among its provisions are two 
innovative chapters, one that commits governments to take 
a wide range of measures against corruption and a second 
one that develops a framework for international 
cooperation on asset recovery cases. 
 
Q: The United States is already a party to two other 
anti-corruption treaties, the OECD Convention on Combating 
Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International 
Business Transactions, and the Inter-American Convention 
Against Corruption.  Why is another Convention needed? 
How does UNCAC differ from the other two? 
 
-- UNCAC takes the international fight against corruption 
to a new level.  It is far more comprehensive in scope 
than either the OECD Convention or the Inter-American 
Convention.  The OECD Convention focuses on Bribery of 
Foreign Public Officials, and the Inter-American 
Convention only requires action in the law enforcement 
arena.  UNCAC addresses corruption on multiple fronts.  It 
commits governments to take preventive measures, 
criminalizes a wide range of corrupt conduct, and 
establishes a framework for cooperation on asset 
recovery.  UNCAC is the only convention that addresses 
asset recovery cases. 
 
-- As a UN Convention, the UNCAC will apply to countries 
outside the Americas and outside the Parties to the OECD 
Convention, thus providing a global common framework to 
combat corruption. 
 
Q: The first Conference of States Parties to the 
Convention (COSP) is scheduled to take place in Jordan in 
December.  What issues will the Conference address?  What 
role will the U.S. play? 
 
-- We expect that the First Conference of States Parties 
(COSP) will begin to consider ways that parties can best 
promote implementation of the UNCAC.  The role of 
technical assistance to promote implementations will also 
be a major focus.  We would like to see a constructive 
process that will facilitate providing effective technical 
assistance. 
 
-- The United States was active and very successful during 
the negotiations, and we hope to have a similarly active 
and influential role in the COSP process. 
 
Q:  Is technical assistance envisioned to assist countries 
in their efforts to implement the Convention? 
 
-- We expect that technical assistance will be needed by 
some countries to implement certain UNCAC provisions. 
UNCAC provides a basis for political commitment to take 
action in these areas, and will provide a basis for the 
United States and other donor countries to work 
cooperatively and closely with other countries on fighting 
corruption. 
 
-- We expect that COSP will need to gather information on 
UNCAC implementation in order to determine which countries 
are committed to implementing UNCAC and willing to take 
action. 
 
Q:  How will the Convention advance U.S. foreign policy 
goals?  How does it fit in with the broader U.S. 
anti-corruption agenda? 
 
-- As President Bush said in transmitting UNCAC to the 
U.S. Senate, the fight against corruption is a foreign 
policy priority for the U.S.  Corruption adversely affects 
many of our broader foreign policy goals:  Corruption 
facilitates crime and terrorism, hinders sustainable 
development, threatens democracy and prevents U.S. 
business from obtaining international contracts. 
 
-- UNCAC will be a critical tool for enhancing U.S. 
international anticorruption efforts.  UNCAC takes all the 
best provisions from existing regional anticorruption 
agreements and combines them in one comprehensive 
document.  Thus all regions of the globe will be operating 
from a common framework.  The global nature of UNCAC 
allows countries to develop and share expertise in a wide 
range of areas, including preventive measures, law 
enforcement, and asset recovery. 
 
-- UNCAC is already becoming the standard for fighting 
corruption.  The U.S. is already using UNCAC as the 
centerpiece to promote anticorruption action in other 
multilateral fora, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic 
Cooperation (APEC) and the Middle East Governance for 
 
STATE 00196224  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
Development Initiative.  UNCAC will make it easier for the 
United States to press the global community to take needed 
and effective action against corruption. 
 
-- The anticorruption regime anticipated by UNCAC provides 
a model for international action and cooperation.  It is 
one that is consistent with U.S. standards and will 
provide a basis for the United States to increase our 
leadership in this area. 
 
END SUGGESTED PRESS GUIDANCE TALKING POINTS. 
 
¶10. (U) Minimize Considered. 
RICE