US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA394

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000394 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS FOR USEU, STATE FOR OES/ENV JOHN THOMPSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, AORC, ETRD, PREL, CA, Environment 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST ON MERCURY ISSUE AT UNEP 
GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING 
 
REF: SECSTATE 18970 
 
1. ESTH Counselor made the demarche requested in reftel to 
Environment Canada (EC) and Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC). 
Nancy Hamzawi, Director, International Affairs, EC, told us 
that Canada looks at the US proposal for partnerships on 
mercury very favorably, but is unable at this time to give 
any definite response until resource questions have been 
clarified in the government's budget.  That budget is now 
scheduled to be presented on February 23, right during the 
middle of the UNEP Governing Council meeting in Nairobi. 
 
2. Hamzawi said that the GOC hopes to do something fairly 
substantive to further partnerships on mercury in the UNEP 
context.  She characterized the GOC as being averse to a 
legally binding instrument as favored by some European 
countries, favoring the "quick action" possible in a 
partnership framework to "endless negotiations" on a legally 
binding agreement. 
 
3. The GOC delegation will reportedly be led by EC Director 
General for International Affairs, Nicole Ladouceur, and will 
include Hamzawi, two officials from FAC and one from Natural 
Resources Canada. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
CELLUCCI