US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA541

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000541 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, WTRO 
SUBJECT: OTTAWA DEMARCHE RESPONSE: TRADE IMPACT OF REVISING 
WHO'S INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 27576 
 
GOC informs us that they intend to propose two changes to the 
draft text.  The first, under article 38, is to add "and be 
compatible with other international legal obligations."  The 
second, under article 58, is to remove the text in brackets: 
"provided they do not represent a dire conflict with these 
regulations."  GOC expressed concern that this phrase, which 
they wish removed, would imply a hierarchy of agreements such 
that IHR would prevail over other obligations.  In addition, 
in reference to the second-to-last talking point, GOC would 
prefer no explicit reference to other organizations, for fear 
that an explicit listing could later cause problems when 
critics might attack the IHR because they deem the listing 
incomplete.  GOC considers that the clause they are proposing 
as an addition to article 38 conveys the same intent without 
the problems inherent in a list of other organizations; they 
wish to keep it more 'generic'. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
DICKSON