Cablegate: Usunesco: India Expresses Concerns About

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

231740Z Sep 05

UNCLAS PARIS 006548

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL ETRD IN UNESCO
SUBJECT: USUNESCO: INDIA EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT
REOPENING THE CONVENTION

1. In her statement today at the Executive Board on the
Canadian draft decision to move the cultural diversity
convention forward, the Indian Ambassador stated her
concerns about reopening the convention. In her statement,
she said, "The Draft Convention, which has gone through an
extensive intergovernmental process represents a delicate
balance of interests. This includes article 20 of the draft
convention. To reopen the discussions could unravel this
balance and result in a draft that does not represent this
balance."

2. Comment: The word "balance" in her statement means
offsetting, contradictory statements. Her major concern is
that reopening negotiations on the convention will lead to a
clearer but worse document, including the possibility of
losing paragraph two in article 20. India has been able to
so ardently support the convention because of the document's
inherent inconsistencies.

Oliver

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