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RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0198/01 0481139
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171139Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3570
INFO RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9103
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7289
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3555
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF EDUCATION WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRASILIA 000198 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL ELAB BR
SUBJECT: PUBLIC LAUNCH OF THE U.S/BRAZIL JOINT ACTION PLAN 
FOR RACIAL EQUALITY AND NEXT STEPS 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Following the March 2008 signing of the 
US/Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic 
Discrimination and Promote Equality (JAPR), Brazilian Racial 
Equality Minister Edson Santos and WHA Assistant Secretary 
Thomas Shannon held the first steering committee meeting and 
publicly launched that plan on October 31, 2008 in Brasilia. 
Both governments agreed on projects and on the necessity of 
involving the private sector in implementation of the plan. 
They also agreed to hold a second session of the steering 
committee in April in Washington, DC.  The meetings showcased 
the high level of interest, commitment, and engagement in the 
Plan among NGOs, academics, and civil activists from both 
countries.  In a February 3 follow-up meeting with PolCouns, 
SEPPIR indicated they were moving forward on consultations 
with Brazilian civil society and would be prepared for a 
technical meeting in Washington in early March to finalize 
composition of the steering committee, public engagement, 
substantive focus for activities, and mechanisms for 
considering projects.  End Summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2. (U) The U.S./Brazil Joint Action Plan to Promote Racial 
Equality was formally launched in a public ceremony by 
Brazil's Minister for Racial Equality Edson Santos and 
Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) 
Thomas Shannon on October 31, 2008.  The ceremony took place 
at the Ministry of Exterior Relations (MRE) in Brasilia.  The 
launch was preceded by a technical meeting held at the 
Embassy on October 30 where details were finalized for the 
first ever meeting of the Joint Action Plan Steering 
Committee meeting that took place on October 31 at the MRE. 
American and Brazilian civil society representatives (NGOs, 
academics, civic activists) intermingled with USG and GOB 
officials at a reception hosted by the DCM on the evening of 
October 30 and then convened in the MRE main auditorium for a 
series of round table meetings that ran consecutively from 
9:00 AM until 6:00 PM.  The series of round table meetings 
began with Education/Culture, followed by Justice, Labor, 
Health and Leadership, and Academics. 
 
Steering Committee Meeting 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The first ever meeting of the Joint Action Plan 
Steering Committee was held on October 31, 2008 at the MRE. 
Minister Santos co-chaired the meeting with WHA Assistant 
Secretary Shannon.  Santos welcomed the U.S, delegation, 
stated that the purpose of the Steering Committee was to 
implement the agreement that he had signed with 
then-Secretary Rice in March 2008, and that he wanted to see 
the actions agreed upon by the United States and Brazil 
effectively carried out.  He reminded the group that the goal 
of the agreement was to improve peoples' quality of life, 
particularly that of the black populations of Brazil and the 
United States.  A/S Shannon congratulated Minister Santos for 
the work he had already done on the Plan.  He stated that 
each country had much to learn from the other by sharing 
information about how each handled questions of race and 
ethnicity.  He stressed, however, that the Plan could 
ultimately create opportunities for all citizens, regardless 
of race.  A/S Shannon urged committee members to think 
creatively and openly and use the Joint Action Plan as a tool 
to harness the creative energies of both societies.  He added 
that success depended upon civil society and private sector 
participation.  In closing, A/S Shannon expressed his 
confidence that the process would have the full support of 
the next administration. 
 
¶4. (SBU) BSC Director Milt Drucker, who led the U.S. side in 
an October 30 technical meeting at the Embassy, commented 
that the question of private sector involvement was an 
important one, and all agreed in principle that the private 
sector should be involved.  What remained was for the 
technical group and Steering Committee to figure out how. 
Minister Santos agreed that the private sector and civil 
society had to be included in the process.  He cautioned, 
however, that "We need to think about how that plays out in 
the Steering Committee,"  offering that it might be too soon 
to include private sector and civil society representatives 
in the Steering Committee.  He suggested that for now there 
should be an executive body made up solely of government 
 
BRASILIA 00000198  002 OF 003 
 
 
officials, supported by an advisory group with civil society 
and private sector members. 
 
¶5. (SBU) SEPPIR's Under Secretary for Affirmative Action 
Giovanni Harvey then provided the group with a 9-point 
summary of the results of the October 30 technical meeting. 
Harvey, who chaired the Brazilian interministeral group at 
that meeting, presented the nine points as follows: 
 
-- 1) The next Steering Committee meeting would tentatively 
be held in Washington the first week of April. The agenda 
should include evaluations of work up to that point. 
 
-- 2) The April Steering Committee meeting would be preceded 
by a technical meeting to take place in Washington in early 
2009 (Note: The SEPPIR has since requested that the meeting 
be scheduled for March 2009 with SEPPIR and the Ministry of 
Exterior Relations/Embassy of Brazil only present for the 
GOB.  End Note.) 
 
-- 3) The purpose of the technical group is to support the 
policy group (the Steering Committee). 
 
-- 4) Initially the technical group will be made up of U.S. 
and Brazilian government officials only.  The technical group 
agreed that civil society (NGOs and academics) needed to have 
an active role in the technical group in the future, but that 
its role needed to be defined clearly beforehand. 
 
-- 5) The next technical and Steering Committee meetings 
should focus on project proposals already put forward within 
the five major thematic areas covered by the Joint Action 
Plan (Education, Labor, Justice, Health, and Culture) 
 
-- 6) Civil society participation was essential for the 
proper consideration of social issues. 
 
-- 7) The private sector could play an important role in the 
implementation of the Joint Action Plan and both governments 
desired active private sector participation.  It remained for 
the technical group and the Steering Committee to define that 
role and how best to integrate the private sector into the 
Steering Committee planning and decision-making process. 
 
-- 8) Of the projects presented during the technical 
committee meeting, some were already funded, some needed 
further institutional coordination before they could be 
implemented, and some needed further development.  Harvey 
also raised the prospect of involving the private sector in 
some of the projects now. 
 
-- 9) Government should act to stimulate civil society 
participation and develop a structure through which to 
receive civil society ideas and proposals. 
 
¶6. (U) In a public plenary session, Minister Santos, A/S 
Shannon received reports from the designated rapporteurs of 
each of the round table groups (education, labor, justice, 
health, and leadership).  (Note: The rapporteurs' reports, in 
Portuguese, were forward to WHA for comment on receipt by 
SEPPIR February 2.  End note.)  Minister Santos and A/S 
Shannon then publicly launched the JAPR. 
 
¶7. (U) Minister Santos stressed that the Joint Action Plan 
should have a real and positive impact on peoples' lives and 
that both countries have much to learn from each other on 
racial relations.  The goal of the plan, he stated, was to 
promote equality, facilitate an exchange of best practices, 
and perhaps allow the United States and Brazil to 
institutionalize some of those practices so that they could 
be used to promote international action. He announced the GOB 
proposals under consideration for cooperative programs.  A/S 
Shannon said that he believed the Plan was starting well and 
with good focus.  He announced four projects in the area of 
education and two pertaining to labor as initial USG 
contributions under the plan.  After a brief 
Question-and-Answer session, A/S Shannon and Minister Santos 
gave an exclusive television interview to TV Globo (a 
national network). 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT AND NEXT STEPS:  The public launch of the 
U.S./Brazil Joint Action Plan to Promote Racial Equality and 
the first ever meeting of the Steering Committee was an 
 
BRASILIA 00000198  003 OF 003 
 
 
auspicious beginning that showcased the high level of 
interest among NGOs, academics, and civil activists from both 
countries.  We expect these groups to be actively engaged and 
committed to substantive cooperation with both governments. 
In a February 3 follow-up meeting with POLCOUNS, SEPPIR made 
clear they were working to finalize proposals for joint 
projects.  Priority issues for resolution during the March 
technical meeting include the structure and make up of the 
Steering Committee, the substantive focus for JAPR 
activities, how to incorporate civil society, academia, and 
private sector representatives into the JAPR, and the 
mechanism and guidelines for receiving project proposals from 
the public.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶9. (U) WHA/PDA and WHA/BSC cleared this cable. 
SOBEL