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Viewing cable 07PARIS446, OECD: SG GURRIA NOMINATES DEPUTIES SECRETARIES GENERAL

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07PARIS446 2007-02-05 15:06 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Paris
null
Lucia A Keegan  02/05/2007 05:27:27 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLAS    SENSITIVE     PARIS 00446

SIPDIS
cxparis:
    ACTION: ECON
    INFO:   OECD AMB AGR FCS ECSO ECNO TRDO POL UNESCO AMBO
            SCI PAO LABO ENGO DCM

DISSEMINATION: ECONIN
CHARGE: PROG

VZCZCFRO649
PP RUEHFR
DE RUEHFR #0446/01 0361506
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051506Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4696
RUEHFR/OECD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000446 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USOECD PARIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA PETER CHASE AND ERIC LUFTMAN, E FOR DANIEL MORRISON 
AND DOUG HENGEL AND EB FOR A/S SULLIVAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON OECD ETRD EAID EFIN AORC IT JAPAN NL
SUBJECT:  OECD:  SG GURRIA NOMINATES DEPUTIES SECRETARIES GENERAL 
 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE HANDLE 
ACCORDINGLY. 
 
1.  (SBU) At the conclusion of the February 5 Council, SG Gurria 
distributed a letter to delegation heads (see para 4) putting 
forward his proposal for the four Deputy Secretaries General.  He 
will formally present these to the Council on February 20 for 
agreement (by consensus). 
 
2.  (SBU) The selections are:  Mrs. Thelma Askey (US); Mr. Aart Jan 
de Geus (Netherlands); Mr. Pier Carlo Padoan (Italy); and Mr. Mari 
Amano (Japan).  Brief bios, along with their notional duties, are 
included in the text of the letter. 
 
3.  (SBU) Gurria said he received 22 nominees from 14 countries 
(including four nominees from the U.S. and three from Japan).  Two 
were women, one of which (Ms. Askey from the U.S.) was selected.  He 
stressed that the only criterion for his selection was the quality 
of the candidates. 
 
4.  (SBU) Letter from OECD Secretary General, Angel Gurria.  Begin 
text: 
 
Dated: 5 February 2007 
AG/2007.268.sb 
 
Dear Ambassador, 
 
Last November, during the Ambassador's retreat in Perigeux, I shared 
with you the profiles of the 4 Deputy Secretaries-General who should 
form the new team of the top management of the Organisation.  I 
invited you to propose suitable candidates, an invitation to which 
many of you have responded by presenting one or more personalities 
from official, political or academic circles of your countries.  In 
fact, we received 22 candidatures from 14 countries. 
 
Given the wide choice of outstanding candidates, I engaged in a 
thorough selection process, which, in some cases, included personal 
interviews and telephone conversations. 
 
Beyond the need to match the profiles of the four positions, the 
candidates have also been considered in terms of building a team 
that would best support our quest to ensure the relevance of the 
OECD.  The team members should complement each other's skills, 
competencies and approaches.  Consideration was also given to gender 
balance. 
 
It has been my objective to present to you the four new Deputy 
Secretaries-General, although the timeframe for the nominations do 
 
SIPDIS 
not coincide.  The replacement of Mr. Akasaka will only become 
necessary in August 2007 and I intend to fill the other positions as 
soon as possible. 
 
In reviewing the specific needs for the Organisation and its 
strategic agenda, I have come to the conclusion that there is no 
need for oversight of the operational management of the Organisation 
at the DSG level.  I also believe that the responsibilities for 
individual Directorates will be defined once the DSGs will have 
arrived in Paris. 
 
In light of these considerations, I recommend that the Council 
approve the nomination of Mrs. Thelma Askey (US), Mr. Aart Jan de 
Geus (Netherlands), Mr. Pier Carlo Padoan (Italy) and Mr. Mari Amano 
(Japan) as new Deputy Secretaries-General of the Organisation.  I 
intend to allocate the responsibilities in the following way: 
 
1.  Global Relations 
 
Mrs. Thelma Askey, a native of Tennessee, USA, is currently Director 
of the United States Trade and Development Agency.  She previously 
served as a Commissioner on the United States International Trade 
Commission, as Staff Director of the Trade Subcommittee of the House 
Committee on Ways and Means and as the Subcommittee's Minority Trade 
Counsel.  Well-versed in the US legislative process, Mrs. Askey is 
an excellent negotiator with extensive experience in diplomacy, as 
well as in international economic and trade policy. 
 
2. Political Economy of Reform (and the MCM and ECSS) 
 
Mr. Aart Jan de Geus, from the Netherlands, is a lawyer and his 
career has involved various functions in public and private service 
at local, national and international level.  Currently he is the 
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and has advanced a 
thorough package of domestic reforms in his country.  He has very 
strong analytical skills and excellent knowledge of policy issues. 
 
3.  Future Strategic Issues for the OECD (and relationship with 
other international organizations) 
 
Mr. Pier Carlo Padoan, from Italy, a prestigious and well-known 
economist, has filled various academic positions in Italian and 
foreign universities.  Executive Director at the International 
Monetary Fund from 2001 to 2005, he has also been adviser in the 
Prime Minister's Office in charge of international economic 
policies.  Currently he is Professor of Economics at the University 
of Rome and Director of the Fondazione Italianieuropei.  He will 
bring to his new post his extensive knowledge of economic research 
and will work closely with the academic community for the benefit of 
the OECD. 
 
4.  Policy Coherence (and the development cluster) 
Mr. Mari Amano, from Japan, has worked, during his successful 
34-year career as a Japanese Foreign Affairs official, on policy 
issues in the areas of macroeconomic management, trade frictions, 
development aid, foreign investment, environment and energy.  Mr. 
Amano is currently acting Executive Director of the Korean Peninsula 
Energy Development Organisation. 
 
The Council resolution will be prepared to be included in the agenda 
of the Council meeting on 20 February. 
 
I hope this excellent team can count on your support and will help 
us to advance the strategic vision of the Organisation. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
Angel Gurria 
 
End Text. 
REID