VZCZCXYZ0012
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSL #0736 2431303
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311303Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0272
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0403
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHFR/USMISSION UNESCO PARIS PRIORITY 0001 UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000736 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. TO IO/UNESCO M. CRISTINA NOVO 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO IO/PPC RICHARD WILBUR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:        
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA PLANS TO RATIFY UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY 
TREATY 
 
REF: STATE 19851 
 
 1. The Slovak Government is moving forward with plans to 
ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion 
of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions by the end of the 
year.  According to Ladislav Simko, Director of the 
International Department at the Ministry of Culture (MOC), 
the GOS started the ratification process August 25th by 
initiating a 10-day comment period that is open to government 
agencies and the public.  Simko said that the MOC plans to 
submit the treaty for cabinet approval in the second half of 
September, with the goal of getting Parliamentary approval in 
October or early December (parliament is not in session in 
November.)  The President would be expected to sign the 
Convention within two to three weeks.  Based on these 
considerations, the Convention could be sent to the UN as 
early as late October, and likely by the end of the year. 
 
 2. As a part of this effort the the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs sponsored a conference on August 26 to bring together 
stakeholders to discuss the ratification process.  Bozena 
Krizikova from the Slovak Committee for UNESCO, an advisory 
committee set up by the Slovak Government in the 1990's, 
noted during the conference that the EU had encouraged member 
states to speed up the ratification process.  The Slovak 
Association for Cultural Diversity, an umbrella organization 
of authors, writers, actors and directors, also participated 
in the conference.  Lubomir Fifik, secretary of the 
association, was quoted in the press as supporting early 
ratification as he believes that the treaty's adoption will 
lead to additional funding of cultural programs. 
 
 3. The Convention has received limited attention in the press 
outside of this recent conference. 
VALLEE