By Feizal Samath
COLOMBO, Apr 20 1999 (IPS)

Sri Lanka is pitching hard for the top job at the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) that is being contested by six candidates from round the world, five of whom are Asian.

“Sri Lanka’s candidate, Prof Senaka Bandaranayake has good credentials for the job. His credentials are, if not better, equivalent to what the other candidates can offer,” a senior Foreign Ministry official told IPS.

Bandaranayake is currently Sri Lanka’s ambassador to France, a position he took up last month, in preparation, possibly to canvas for the coveted UNESCO post, observers here say.

His impeccable qualifications for the job are vouched for by Prof Stanley Kalpage, a retired university teacher and Sri Lanka’s ambassador at the U.N from 1991 to 1994.

“But having this alone will not help. What can we (Sri Lanka) offer other countries in exchange for their support? Can we have any trade-offs in seeking support?” he asked about a contest that is practicably decided by political power and influence.

An Asian stands a good chance of winning the UNESCO job, which has always gone to non-Asians including the incumbent Federico Mayor of Spain who has been director-general since 1987, and due to step down after a 12-year term by the end of this year.

But with candidates from Indonesia, Japan, Philippines and Saudi Arabia vying for the job, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has ordered a massive and costly campaign to back Bandaranayake’s bid, according to the ‘Sunday Times’ newspaper.

Bandaranayake, who took over as vice chancellor of the Kelaniya University in Sri Lanka last month is also the country’s best known archaeologist with an international reputation.

The government has not officially announced his candidature, but the newspaper reported that at least three ministers have been picked to travel to several countries and lobby support.

Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera is to visit Africa, Cultural Affairs Minister Lakshman Jayakody has been entrusted North America and Latin America while Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar will be canvassing support in Asia and Europe.

Rauf Hakeen, general secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, a constituent of the ruling People’s Alliance and Javid Yusuf, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia are also expected to be involved in the high-profile campaign, the report said.

The government, the newspaper said, may seek special funds from parliament to fund the campaign. But whether it will be money well spent is open to question.

“It is difficult to say what our chances are. Often these positions don’t go to the candidate with the best credentials but one who has the backing of powerful nations,” the senior Foreign Ministry official observed.

According to the top diplomat, western countries generally prefer a candidate with qualifications other than political influence, and that would be a plus point for Sri Lanka. But with Japan’s clout in the U.N, it was difficult to say whether Sri Lanka’s chances were bright or remote, he added.

Nanda Godage, a former Sri Lankan ambassador and foreign affairs analyst, believes that the best candidate would be one who could gain the confidence of the developed nations, who are the principal contributors to the UNESCO kitty.

“This is where the Japanese have an advantage for Japan is perhaps the highest contributor,” he added. Japan, which has been increasingly pressing for U.N jobs on the ground that it is a major donor nation, is pushing the candidacy of Matsuuara Koichiro who is ambassador to France.

He noted however that member states are likely to have some reservations over a Japanese nominee given the charges of mismanagement of the World Health Organisation during the period when K. Nakajima was in charge.

Both Godage and Kalpage told IPS they believed that Sri Lanka’s chances were remote. Godage also raised the issue of whether Sri Lanka should offend a country like Japan, which provides substantial aid to Colombo.

“Is it prudent to incur the wrath of the Japanese, over an international post, where we have only an outside chance of obtaining (winning)?” he asked.

“Besides having a good candidate, what else have we to offer. Furthermore could we even count on the countries of South Asia which are in the executive committee of UNESCO to support us (and

in the process) endanger their national interest?” Godage asked.

The 58-member UNESCO Executive Board meets in May for a preliminary review of the six candidates. By Sep. 10, the candidates are expected to submit a 2,000-word paper, in English and French, setting out their own visions for UNESCO.

The Board will meet again in October for an exhaustive interview of the candidates. A short list of candidates, recommended by the Board, will go before the 186-member UNESCO General Conference in late October for final approval.

At the moment the front runner is Egypt’s Ismail Serageldin, a vice president of the World Bank, who has already received endorsements from 32 Nobel laureates.

Excerpt: