VZCZCXRO4576
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHFR #0108/01 0101556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101556Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4128
INFO RUEHZN/EST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 1199
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1077
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAEPA/EPA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 000108 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G, OES, OES/E, OES/GC, STAS, EUR, EUR/WE 
DEPT INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL 
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ 
EPA FOR AYRES/MEDEARIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV AORC PREL FR
SUBJECT: DOWNSIDES TO CHIRAC'S FEBRUARY 2-3 ENVIRONMENT 
CONFERENCE - REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE (SBU) 
 
REF: 06 STATE 116862 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary and Action Request: The French Embassy in 
Washington recently invited Interior Secretary Kempthorne and 
EPA Administrator Johnson to attend the Conference for Global 
Ecological Governance to be held in Paris in early February. 
Given the characterization of agenda issues and the strict 
format for discussion, Embassy is concerned this conference 
may not provide a suitable venue for the presentation of U.S. 
positions.  Under these circumstances, Embassy questions 
whether senior U.S. officials should attend this conference 
and even whether the presence of a possible expert delegation 
would make sense.  Department's early consideration 
appreciated.  End Summary and Action Request. 
 
------------------ 
From UNEP to UNEO? 
------------------ 
 
¶2.  (U) In September at UNGA, President Chirac told members 
that "uncontrolled human activity is bringing about a sort of 
slow collective suicide," and he urged the creation of a 
United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO) to replace the 
UN Environment Program (UNEP).  Doing so he believes would 
upgrade consideration given to environmental issues within 
the United Nations system.  Such a proposal is hardly new and 
France and a number of other European countries, as well as 
developing nations, have convened meetings to consider how to 
move similar proposals forward.  (In light of differing U.S. 
views, the USG generally has not been invited to those 
meetings.)  At UNGA, Chirac also announced that France would 
host an international conference to discuss the creation of a 
UNEO.  That conference will be held in Paris on February 2-3, 
immediately following a meeting of the UNFCCC's 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Paris, and 
immediately preceding a meeting of the Governing Council of 
the UNEP in Nairobi. 
 
------------------------------- 
Green politics and other things 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) In France's current election season, the environment 
issue is receiving top billing.  In this context, Chirac 
announced an impressive 'Committee of Honor' (all French 
nationals) to oversee the February Conference for Global 
Ecological Governance.  He called on, for example, former 
Prime Minister - and now Bordeaux Mayor - Alain Juppe to 
coordinate the committee's activities.  Juppe has expounded 
in a popular blog on the need for greater effort to tackle 
climate and environmental concerns.  Another member of the 
seven person committee is Nicolas Hulot, a French 
environmental activist and himself a possible 'Green' 
presidential contender.  Other members are from the 
scientific community, government, and industry. 
 
------------ 
Who's coming 
------------ 
 
¶4.  (U)  Conference materials note that its aim is to bring 
together senior government officials, scientists, industry 
leaders, NGOs, and public figures from 60 countries.  GOF 
sources claim that France has invited about 20 individuals 
from the U.S., in addition to Kempthorne and Johnson.  Names 
we've heard include former Vice President Gore and Governor 
Swartzenegger, but we are not certain whether they have 
accepted.  The GOF seeks a total of about 150 participants 
from 50-60 countries.  All invitees are personal guests of 
the president and the GOF will defray travel and hotels costs. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Straightjacket agenda, venue, & format 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The manner in which the conference is organized 
causes us concern that U.S. officials would have difficulty 
conveying U.S. positions.  The conclusion of the conference 
appears foregone: the three-hour workshop at which the UNEO 
is to be discussed has as a goal: "...call(ing) for a 
 
PARIS 00000108  002 OF 003 
 
 
strengthening of international environmental governance by 
transforming the UNEP into a fully-fledged United Nations 
agency (UNEO)."  Moreover, the morning following the workshop 
sessions, Chirac will close the conference with a "call for 
action."  Opening and closing ceremonies will take place at 
the President's Elysee Palace and will consist of set 
speeches.  Finally, the program for the concurrent, 
three-hour workshops contain not only the UNEO topic, but 
also other issues of interest to the U.S. and which we 
believe would require considerably different treatment than 
that they would receive at this conference.  The program can 
be found at the conference website: www.citoyensdelaterre.fr 
and follows in para 6. 
 
¶6. (U) Program for the Conference on Ecological Governance. 
 
February 2 
---------- 
 
1100 hrs: Elysee Palace.  Official Opening.  Speech by 
President Chirac. 
 
1115 hrs: Remarks by various political and scientific figures. 
 
1200 hrs: Reception at the Elysee Palace. 
 
1300 hrs: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Luncheon co-hosted by 
Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy and Ecology and Sustainable 
Development Minister Olin. 
 
1530 hrs: Kleber International Conference Center.  Delegates 
divide on six themes. 
 
- Workshop 1: Combating climate disruption: 
 
This workshop will analyze, on the basis of the latest 
conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on climate Change, 
the impact, cost and consequences of international inaction 
on climate change.  It will put forward ambitious measures, 
especially in the areas of energy and transport. 
 
- Workshop 2: Acting together to safeguard biodiversity: 
 
This workshop will evaluate the threats facing biodiversity 
and assess the impact of its deterioration on human 
societies.  It will propose a new mode of governance to 
safeguard biodiversity.  The workshop will highlight the need 
for an international expert evaluation of the situation with 
regard to biodiversity and will address new topics now 
emerging such as high-sea biodiversity. 
 
- Workshop 3: Combating pollution and protecting health: 
 
This workshop will analyze the effects, both global and 
local, of air pollution, particularly with regard to public 
health, and will take stock of the controls on transfers of 
hazardous substances and waste.  The workshop will look at 
strengthening of the "polluter pays" principle. 
 
- Workshop 4: Making water a collective issue: 
 
The focus of this workshop will be on sanitation issues, 
especially in the developing world, and the actions to be 
planned to adapt the management of this resource to cope with 
climate change, in conjunction with the Millennium 
Development Goals. 
 
- Workshop 5: Changing mentalities and patterns of production 
and consumption: 
 
This workshop will address the human dimension of the 
ecological crisis and the way in which we should face up to 
the contemporary challenges raised by the population 
explosion, uncontrolled urbanization and mass poverty.  It 
will recommend changes in individual behavior and in patterns 
of production and consumption. 
 
- Workshop 6: Strengthening international environmental 
governance 
 
 
PARIS 00000108  003 OF 003 
 
 
This workshop will conduct a critical overview of the current 
approach to international cooperation, which is characterized 
by the fragmentation and weakness of the United Nations 
system.  It will call for a strengthening of international 
environmental governance by transforming the United Nations 
Environment Program into a fully-fledged United Nations 
agency (UNEO). 
 
February 3 
---------- 
 
0930 hrs: Elysee Palace.  Chairpersons will give a 
presentation of the proceedings of their respective six 
workshops. 
 
1100 hrs: President Chirac will officially close the 
proceedings and send out a "Paris call for action." 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment: While we would normally encourage the 
presence of senior officials to articulate U.S. positions at 
high-level international environmental gatherings, President 
Chirac's decidedly 'French' agenda for the February 
Ecological Governance event appears to include difficult 
international environmental issues for which acceptable 
international solutions have not yet been identified. 
Moreover, neither are the proposals called for in the 
conference necessarily the ones advocated by the U.S., nor 
does the conference format lend itself to a full airing of 
the topics.  Accordingly, we seek the Department's guidance 
whether and how the USG should be represented at the 
conference.  End comment. 
 
 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
STAPLETON