US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA2076

UNCLAS OTTAWA 002076 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECPS, Bill Graham 
SUBJECT: OTTAWA: DEMARCHE TO MEMBERS OF THE ITU COUNCIL ON 
SINGLE MEMBER STATE VETO ISSUE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 124476 
 
1. (SBU) Econ staff responsible for the Telecom portfolio met 
with Industry Canada's Director of International 
Telecommunications Policy and Coordination Bill Graham and 
staffers Janis Doran and Jim Mackenzie to discuss the 
documents provided in reftel, which we had previously faxed 
to Industry Canada.  Industry Canada officials seemed already 
well-briefed on the subject and mentioned that they have 
previously discussed this issue with Dick Baird, Marian 
Gordon and Jamie Annis.  GOC's position is generally in line 
with U.S. position on Single State Veto, but GOC sees the 
problem as tactical rather than philosophical--how to best 
present the issue to gain the support of other ITU members? 
GOC plans to focus its efforts on decreasing opposition, 
saying specifically that any mention of national sovereignty 
is not helpful, as it can be seen by some members 
(particularly African countries) as U.S. pressure tactics or 
the possibility that one country could have a sovereign 
interest to veto other countries' proposals. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Instead, GOC intends to convey to African and 
smaller Asian member country representatives the fact that a 
global consensus on IT standards is in their interest, that 
it would simplify progress for developing countries, that 
geographic fragmentation hurts everyone, and that the single 
member state veto is helpful in ensuring that global 
consensus.  Ms. Doran in particular emphasized that the GOC 
supports global consensus, and clarified that the GOC had 
suggested the possibility of a two-member veto as a 
compromise (some countries, particularly Australia and the UK 
had been suggesting three- or four-member veto options).  Ms. 
Doran explained that the two-member veto mirrors the 
procedural requirements of the ITU for a motion and a second 
of the motion.  This proposal of a two-member veto compromise 
was intended, in her words, to "minimize damage." What the 
GOC hopes to get out of council is a mechanism to study and 
explain the advantages of the single member state veto. 
 
3.  (SBU) Mr. Graham and Ms. Doran characterized the UK and 
Australia as the biggest impediment, with additional 
opposition to the US stance from African nations (comment: 
Ms. Doran said that "the UK has charged up the African 
countries" and noted with some surprise that this seems to 
have become an issue for Uganda and Ghana, countries which 
previously did not get involved much, in her opinion.  End 
comment.)  As for Europe, she characterized smaller countries 
as less likely to be on board than bigger countries.  Ms. 
Doran plans to speak with representatives from Brazil and 
Venezuela, hoping to find out about Spain and Portugal's 
influence in South America.  Ms. Doran also plans to speak 
with the Moroccan representatives to get a sense of the 
stance of other Arab nations. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS