US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA2976

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002976 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES(ROCK), OES/IHA(CRODDY AND FOSTER) AND 
WHA/CAN(NELSON) 
 
DHHS FOR BILL STEIGER, STEWART SIMONSON AND ROSE BROWNRIDGE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, KSCA, EAGR, ECON, PREL, SOCI, CA, WHO, FAO, OIE, Avian Influenza 
SUBJECT: CANADA TO HOST HEALTH MINISTERS MEETING ON AVIAN 
AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA, OCTOBER 24/25 IN OTTAWA 
 
1. Summary:  As part of the continuing international 
response to the threat of avian and pandemic influenza, the 
Canadian Government will host a meeting of health ministers 
from more than 30 countries and international organizations 
in Ottawa, October 24/25.  The purpose of the meeting is to 
encourage international collaboration and to focus political 
level attention on avian and pandemic influenza.  GOC health 
officials say the response has been encouraging.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. ESTH Counselor called on Carla Gilders, Director General 
of International Affairs, Health Canada for a briefing on 
the international health ministers meeting on avian and 
pandemic influenza being organized by the Canadian 
Government.  The meeting will be held in Ottawa, October 24 
and 25.  Gilders said that the GOC hopes to build on the 
discussions and initiatives coming out of the Senior 
Officials Meeting (SOM) of the International Partnership on 
Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) being held this week in 
Washington.  The focus of the meeting in Ottawa will be to 
ensure maximum engagement on avian and pandemic influenza at 
the political level and to encourage international 
collaboration. 
 
3. All WHO regions will be represented with a mix of 
developed and developing countries, including those affected 
by the current avian influenza outbreak.  Countries invited 
include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, 
Egypt, the EU Commission, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, 
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Malaysia, 
Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, South 
Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United 
Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.  In addition, 
representatives of WHO, FAO, OIE, the World Bank and the 
ASEAN Secretariat have been invited.   Gilders told ESTH 
Counselor that response has been encouraging thus far and 
the GOC expects to have strong representation from the 
ministers/governments invited. 
 
 
4. Health Canada has booked a block of hotel rooms at the 
Westin Hotel in the downtown area of Ottawa and will handle 
reservations for visiting delegations.  Ministerial meetings 
will be held at the Foreign Affairs Canada building.  The 
meeting room has limited space for so many delegations, so 
the GOC plans to limit delegation size to minister plus 
three.  Gilder expects the ministerial to begin late 
afternoon on October 24, probably around 4:30 pm with an 
opening session (WHO presentation), followed by a reception 
and dinner.  Sessions on October 25 will run from 9 am until 
3:30 pm, with presentations on 4 themes, discussion, comment 
and a wrap up.  The GOC wants to avoid a series of 
statements by ministers, believing that their format of 
presentations and discussions offers a better model for 
productive exchanges. 
 
5. Current thinking is that themes for the discussion will 
be: 
-- intersectoral collaboration on the animal-human health 
interface; 
-- risk communication and assessment; 
-- development, supply and access to vaccines and 
antivirals; and 
-- surveillance and capacity building. 
6. Gilders said that the GOC expects that the discussion 
among ministers will be based on the discussions this week 
at the SOM in Washington this week, proposed principles for 
the IPAPI, and the WHO Strategic Plan for Pandemic 
Preparedness and Response.  The GOC plans to issue a 
communiqu at the end of the ministerial on October 25. 
Senior officials may be invited to review the draft 
communiqu on October 24.  The document will be aimed at 
solidifying political level engagement, commitments to act 
collaboratively and transparently within the UN system. 
 
7. Comment:  This ministerial meeting is a direct result of 
a proposal by Prime Minister Martin.  He had originally 
suggested a meeting of health and agriculture ministers on 
the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in 
September.  It is not clear why the GOC dropped their 
original plan to invite agriculture ministers, but GOC 
C 
officials indicate that they still encourage strong 
representation by agriculture ministries/departments in 
delegations.  End Comment. 
 
WILKINS