US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA1373

UNCLAS OTTAWA 001373 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR IO/SHA - SMEHRA, S/UNR - JGERAN; USUN FOR MZACK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, CA, UNCHR-1, UNGA 
SUBJECT: CANADA: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON AN UNMANDATED 
SESSION TO DISCUSS CHR REFORM 
 
REF: STATE 082967 
 
1.  (SBU) Poloff discussed the reftel demarche concerning a 
2005 Commission on Human Rights (CHR) resolution establishing 
a five-day working group in Geneva to discuss CHR reform, 
with Henri-Paul Normandin, Director of the Human Rights 
Division at Foreign Affairs Canada, on May 5.  Normandin 
stated that the Government of Canada (GoC) would continue to 
oppose this resolution, as it had in Geneva, when it is 
considered by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 
New York. 
 
2.  (SBU) Continuing, Normandin indicated that the GoC does 
not share the USG position that all discussion on UN reform 
must take place in New York.  According to Normandin, Canada 
is not opposed to CHR members meeting in Geneva to discuss 
this issue, if it were to occur on an informal basis; he 
recounted that the GoC and EU states tried unsuccessfully to 
reach a compromise with the Africa Group on this issue at the 
recently concluded CHR session in Geneva.  However, when the 
Africa Group refused to alter its position, Canada voted 
against the resolution, since a formal session would entail 
(among other items) the publication of a post-session report. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
DICKSON