Cablegate: Australia to Support Sidibe for Unaids Executive

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OO RUEHPT
DE RUEHBY #0979 2700301
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 260301Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0243
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA IMMEDIATE 0243
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO IMMEDIATE 0015
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 1492
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME IMMEDIATE 1020
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON IMMEDIATE 5446
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 1953
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0700
RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE PRIORITY 5604
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH PRIORITY 3877
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 3809

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000979

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/T AND EAP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: UNGA EAID KHIV ML AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA TO SUPPORT SIDIBE FOR UNAIDS EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR

REF: A. CANBERRA 964
B. ROBERTS-CROWLEY E-MAIL OF 9/23/08
C. STATE 97114

1. (SBU) Nicole Forrester, Executive Officer for the United
Nations and Commonwealth Section, advised poloff on September
26 that Australia would support Malian candidate Michel
Sidibe as its top priority candidate for the UNAIDS Executive
Director position, followed by Debrework Zewdie of Ethiopia
as its next preference. Australia had no clear third
preference candidate, ranking Stefano Bertozzi and Tim
Barnett as equal.

2. (SBU) The GOA decision was based purely on the merits of
the candidates' credentials, according to Forrester, and
followed an interagency review that included representatives
from AusAID, the Department of Health and Ageing, and
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Forrester thanked
the U.S. for its thorough response to GOA questions on new
short-listed candidates following the initial demarche (ref
B).

MCCALLUM

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