US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA1656

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001656 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PM/WRA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, CA 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE: SA/LW NEGOTIATIONS ON MARKING AND TRACING 
 
REF: SECSTATE 99866 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
1. (SBU) Post delivered reftel demarche points to Deputy 
Director Shawn Barber in the Peacebuilding and Human Security 
Division (AGP) at Foreign Affairs oin May 31.  A copy was 
conveyed to the Ambassador Anton Thalmann as well. 
 
2, (SBU) Barber provided the following response on June 2: 
 
Begin text 
 
Small Arms and Light Weapons Negotiations on Marking and 
Tracing 
 
Ammunition 
 
The Chair's draft currently includes ammunition.  Including 
ammunition is an important step towards addressing the issue 
of SALW in conflict zones, particularly in areas in which 
SALW are re-circulated within the state.  In these instances, 
access to ammunition plays the key role in prolonging the 
conflict.  While Canada supports the inclusion of ammunition 
in the instrument we remain flexible with regards to how this 
is achieved. 
 
Other Issues 
 
Record-keeping:  The Chair has ambitiously indicated that 
records should be kept for at least 30 years.  While Canada 
can support this, it would be beneficial to indicate whether 
the entire record needs to be retained for this period. 
 
Marking:  We are in agreement that marking at import is an 
extremely important provision to include in the instrument. 
Canada would also propose to include the year of import to 
further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of 
performing a trace. 
 
The current draft requires more specificity with respect to 
the information required on both submitting and responding to 
tracing requests.  Canada is working on a draft format for 
requesting and responding to traces (as required in the 
Technical Annex) based upon current policing systems used by 
Interpol. 
 
The potential role to be played by Security Council 
authorized peacekeeping operations in initiating tracing 
requests or destroying weapons remains to be systematically 
worked out in the next round of discussions.  Canada 
recognizes the important role peacekeeping operations have in 
conflict and post-conflict arenas and would like to see the 
ability of these missions to perform tracing requests. 
 
End Game Options 
 
Canada's objective throughout the negotiations has been to 
establish a legally binding instrument that encompasses both 
crime and conflict situations.  We remain committed to 
achieving this objective which we judge to be shared by a 
majority of participating states.  In this context it is 
important that the instrument be effective for 
"on-the-ground" use of police and peacekeeping operations. 
 
End text. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
DICKSON