US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA2923

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002923 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, KSUM, PGOV 
SUBJECT: CANADA ON SUMMIT OF AMERICAS DECLARATION 
 
REF: STATE 178321 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Canada would like to build on rather than 
scrap language in the Summit Declaration, given the amount of 
time that has already been spent negotiating the text and the 
disruption that new language would cause.  The GOC would also 
like to see more forward-looking language and a more 
ambitious approach to the FTAA. The GOC would be very 
reluctant to go to a fall-back approach of a leader,s 
statement, as it would eliminate some of the text Canada 
feels strongly about.  Canadian officials are optimistic that 
the Argentines are stepping up to the plate in terms of 
leadership and have offered to support Buenos Aires to pay 
for translators for working groups.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) The Ambassador raised the issue of the Summit with 
FM Pettigrew September 27 and PolMinCouns also discussed it 
with Associate Deputy Minister Peter Boehm (former Canadian 
PermRep at the OAS and currently serving as the Summit Sherpa 
for the government).  The Minister agreed with the need to 
get down to serious business on the draft and pledged 
Canada,s support.  Canada, too, is serious about achieving a 
credible, useful declaration, he said. 
 
3. (SBU) ADM Boehm said he has been working declaration 
strategy directly with Tom Shannon and believes that we 
generally see eye to eye.  Canada is reluctant, however, to 
table a new draft at this late date and believes it is better 
to build on what has been agreed to by consensus and try to 
work-in previously agreed language from Nuevo Leon and 
Monterrey. 
 
4.  (SBU) On September 28 Poloff met with FAC Director 
General Sarah Fountain-Smith and Summit Coordinator Jennifer 
Loten to discuss the issue in more detail.  Fountain-Smith 
reiterated that Canada remains committed to a successful 
outcome for the Summit process and will be sending detailed 
comments on our proposal to Ambassador Durrand to pass to 
Ambassador Maisto.  Canada agrees that we need to have a new 
approach to get the text more in line with Nuevo Leon, but 
differs with us on how to achieve this.  Their thinking is 
driven by two concerns: first, time is limited, and second, 
there is a good deal of hard-work that has gone into the 
current draft that would be lost if new language was tabled. 
 
5. (SBU) What Canada would like to do, rather than start over 
with new language, is use our ideas in a way that builds on 
what has already been agreed.  The GOC would also like to see 
some Canadian priorities reflected.  One example of what they 
would say differently: instead of focusing on the 
&burdensome regulatory framework,8 they would talk of 
&streamlining regulations.8  This would focus on the 
solution not the problem and lend the text a more positive 
air.  The GOC also believes that the text needs to be more 
realistic about poverty.  The US draft, Loten said, seems to 
downplay the issue of poverty, which is more serious and more 
pervasive than we indicate.  In short, Fountain-Smith said, 
the GOC would like to build on previously achieved consensus 
when it can, make it a forward looking document, and be 
realistic about poverty. 
 
6. (SBU) Fountain-Smith also said Canada would like to see 
language that distinguishes between the IFIs.  Canada 
believes there is a distinct different between the World Bank 
and the IMF and that it is not helpful to have them lumped 
together.  With regards to the FTAA, Canada is in favor of 
more ambitious language and will seek to generate support 
among like-minded countries and regions such as Chile and 
Caricom.  FAC asked when precisely, we would be tabling our 
language on the FTAA next week so they can have the right 
people in attendance. 
 
7. (SBU) With regards to putting out a shorter leader,s 
statement in place of the declaration, our colleagues 
consider this a questionable approach.  They believe that 
merely considering the proposal would take up two days, much 
like the half day that was spent just agreeing to the process 
when the first part of the declaration was re-opened earlier. 
 They believe we need to not lose steam and forge ahead with 
the declaration.  They also expressed concern that in moving 
from the declaration to a leader,s statement a number of key 
points for Canada, e.g. women, indigenous issues, and health 
would fall out.  They similarly believe equity issues would 
be watered down to a general statement that does not capture 
the essence of the issue.  Canada would also like to preserve 
the link between governance and prosperity, which would be 
lost in a shorter statement.  In any event, Loten said, there 
is no indication that a leader,s statement would be easier 
to negotiate -- the same issues would need to be worked and 
things like the WTO and FTAA would be just as difficult.  We 
might as well do it as a declaration, she said, to give it 
full weight. 
 
8. (SBU) The GOC, Fountain-Smith believes, remains hopeful 
that Argentina can pull it all together.  It believes that 
the Argentines have begun to take on more of a leadership 
role and could yet lead a successful process.  Fountain-Smith 
mentioned that Canada has offered to pay for the translation 
for working groups but have not heard back from the 
Argentines on whether they accept the offer. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS