VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #3973 2641637
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211637Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0347

UNCLAS PARIS 003973 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/WE, S/P FOR SOKOLSKY AND GERAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM EAID FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE: STILL RESERVED ON PARTNERSHIP FOR DEMOCRATIC 
GOVERNANCE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 131040 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Emboffs have discussed the Partnership for Democratic 
governance (PDG) on several occasions with French officials in 
recent weeks. They have told us they do not believe France will 
join as a founding member, but have 
not excluded deeper involvement at some later date. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  In a meeting with Econ M/C September 14, Jean-Marc 
Chataigner, Chief of Staff to Secretary of State for Cooperation 
and Development Jean-Marie Bockel said that though a final 
decision on becoming a founding member had not been made, French 
reservations remained.  He characterized the proposal as "much 
improved" from the original idea, but clearly thought that 
France would wait 
and see how it worked in practice.  He emphasized that France 
had not blocked the project from going forward in the OECD, and 
that it would support it in a limited way through UNDP. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche to MFA Office 
Director for Multilateral Economic and Financial Affairs Cyrille 
Pierre September 21. Pierre noted French reservations about the 
sustainability of governance capacity building programs, and a 
more philosophical concern about externalizing sovereign 
functions of government. That said, France did not exclude 
deeper 
participation in the PDG depending on how well it worked with 
UNDP and the transparency of the selection process for 
contractors.  The OECD had a good reputation in this domain, he 
said. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Comment:  Both contacts gave a de facto "no" in the 
most polite and tempered ways they could think of.  We do not 
believe that lobbying at a higher level would be effective at 
this time but it is possible that the GOF will enhance support 
for this program later, especially if it effectively targets one 
or more countries of priority interest to the GOF. 
 
 
Pekala