86. Telegram 98830 From the Department of State to the Embassy in France, April 23, 1976, 0853Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
98830
R 230853Z APR 76
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY PARIS
STATE 098830
NESCO
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: UNESCO,
AORG
SUBJECT: UNESCO
REF: STATE 89941
SECRETARY OF STATE SIGNED THE FOLLOWING LETTER ON APRIL 12 TO DG M’BOW:
“DEAR MR. DIRECTOR GENERAL:
I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF FEBRUARY 10, 1976, REQUESTING EARLY PAYMENT OF THE SUMS OWED TO THE ORGANIZATION BY THE UNITED STATES.
I FULLY APPRECIATE THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR UNESCO OF THE NONPAYMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTION. IN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES, HOWEVER, GIVEN THE INABILITY OF THE PRESIDENT TO MAKE THE CERTIFICATION REQUIRED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1974, I MUST TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO CONTINUE TO WITHHOLD PAYMENT. UNDER THE TERMS OF THAT AMENDMENT, CONGRESS DIRECTED THAT “...NO FUNDS SHOULD BE OBLIGATED OR EXPENDED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO SUPPORT THE UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION UNTIL THE PRESIDENT CERTIFIES TO THE CONGRESS THAT SUCH ORGANIZATION (1) HAS ADOPTED POLICIES WHICH ARE FULLY CONSISTENT WITH ITS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL OBJECTIVES, AND (2) HAS TAKEN CONCRETE STEPS TO CORRECT ITS RECENT ACTIONS OF A PRIMARILY POLITICAL CHARACTER.”
AS YOU KNOW, THIS AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED BY THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS IN DECEMBER 1975 IN RESPONSE TO CERTAIN POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ACTS OF THE 18TH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF UNESCO, DIRECTED AGAINST ISRAEL, WHICH AROUSED CONSIDERABLE INDIGNATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
BECAUSE OF OUR STRONG DESIRE TO BE ABLE TO PLAY A FULL ROLE IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS FOR WHICH UNESCO STANDS, WE HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE EFFORTS MADE AT RECENT SESSIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, DUE IN PART TO YOUR CAPABLE LEADERSHIP, TO AVOID FURTHER POLITICIZATION. WE WERE ALSO GRATIFIED BY THE WELCOME STEPS THE BOARD TOOK TOWARD REVERSING THE GENERAL CONFERENCE DECISION WHICH EXCLUDED ISRAEL FROM MEMBERSHIP IN UNESCOS REGIONAL GROUPS.
I HOPE THAT THE 19TH GENERAL CONFERENCE WILL BUILD UPON THESE ENCOURAGING BEGINNINGS AND THEREBY CONTRIBUTE TOWARD THE CREATION OF CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE UNITED STATES COULD RESUME ITS PAYMENTS TO UNESCO.
YOUR LETTER ALSO REFERS TO YOUR APPEAL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO HELP DEFRAY THE ADDED EXPENSE OF HOLDING THE 19TH GENERAL CONFERENCE IN NAIROBI, KENYA. WHILE WE CONCURRED IN THE DECISION TO HOLD THE 19TH GENERAL CONFERENCE IN NAIROBI, WE DID SO WITHOUT COMMITTING OURSELVES TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT. IT IS OUR POLICY THAT THE EXTRA EXPENSES OF ANY CONFERENCE HELD AWAY FROM HEADQUARTERS SHOULD BE BORNE BY THE HOST GOVERNMENT. IN ADDITION, THE AMENDMENT TO THE 1974 FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT NOTED ABOVE WOULD APPEAR RELEVANT IN THIS SITUATION. WE HAVE ALREADY INFORMED THE GOVERNMENT OF KENYA THAT WE WILL NOT MAKE A CONTRIBUTION.
I TRUST THAT THESE CLARIFICATIONS WILL BE HELPFUL TO YOU.
BEST REGARDS, HENRY A. KISSINGER.
SISCO
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use. Drafted and approved by Heater. ↩
- Sisco communicated the contents of a letter from Kissinger to M’Bow concerning the U.S. decision to withhold funds for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.↩