Cablegate: Unesco Demarche On Cultural Expressions - Goa

VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2629 3321858
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281858Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6598
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5758
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5605
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 5961
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1166
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002629

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E FOR THOMAS PIERCE, WHA FOR WHA/BSC AND WHA/EPSC
IO/UNESCO FOR KELLY SIEKMAN
L/UNA FOR DAVID SULLIVAN
EB/TPP/MTA FOR CAROL HENNINGER
PASS USTR FOR SUE CRONIN AND MARY SULLIVAN
TREASURY FOR ALICE FAIBISHENKO
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/OLAC/PEACHER
US SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PREL AR
SUBJECT: UNESCO DEMARCHE ON CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS - GOA
CONCERNED BUT PLANS TO RATIFY

REF: STATE 188253

1. (SBU) Post delivered reftel demarche to Martin Romero,
Secretary of Embassy in the Foreign Ministry's Directorate of

SIPDIS
International Organisms (DIOIN). According to Romero,
Argentina is proceeding with the ratification process for the
UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the
Diversity of Cultural Expressions, despite concerns over
potential conflicts. The agreement is presently pending
ratification by the Argentine parliament's upper house, but a
date has not been scheduled to bring the UNESCO Convention to
a vote. When the instruments of ratification are filed with
the UN, the GoA plans to file a written "understanding" to
express awareness of possible conflicts with other
international agreements such as WTO norms (reftel). When
asked what the GoA would do in case of a trade conflict with
another country based on actions in name of this Convention,
Romero indicated that the GoA was prepared to utilize the
dispute mechanism contained in the Convention.

2. (SBU) Post also delivered demarche to Luis Niscovolos,
Director of Multilateral Economic Negotiations at the Foreign
Ministry, who expressed concernthat the Convention could
violate WTO and GATT norms. He said, however, that he could
not speak to the possibility of an "understanding" being
submitted, as that was the responsibility of DIOIN.
Niscovolos volunteered that the Secretary of Culture had also
been consulted on the subject, and possibly the Ministry of
Education. While he was sure that the Ministry of Economy
had been consulted, Adrian Makuc, National Director of
Foreign Trade Policy in the Ministry of Economy, told econoff
that, despite the trade-related aspects of the Convention, he
was not aware that Economy had been consulted on the
substance of the Convention.
WAYNE

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