This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS OTTAWA 000588
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: SENV ECON EAID AORC CA UN
SUBJECT: CANADIAN VIEWS ON WSSD IMPLEMENTATION AND CSD
REFORM
REF: STATE 41673
1. As requested in reftel, EST Counselor provided U.S.
discussion papers, talking points and Q and A paper to the
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade (DFAIT) and to the GOC coordinating committee on WSSD
implementation. Returning from an extended absence, our
main interlocutor in the GOC, Gary Pringle (DFAIT), told EST
Counselor that Canada is generally supportive of the
approach to CSD reform being proposed by the U.S. He found
the Q and A paper particularly helpful in presenting the
case for some of the reform measures being proposed.
However, he indicated that the GOC is now focused on the CSD
Secretariat's paper of February 14 and would be interested
SIPDIS
in USG comments on that paper.
2. Pringle said the GOC would like to see future sessions of
the CSD address topics on the basis of "WEHAB Plus," which
he described as perhaps two topics pre-selected from the
WEHAB agenda and one topic selected from among other
competing areas of interest to CSD participants. He noted
in particular that Canada thought the topics of "sustainable
cities" and "information technology" should be on future CSD
agendas for consideration, even though they were not
contained in the WEHAB formulation.
3. Furthermore, Canada plans to propose that a review be
built into the revised CSD agenda after the first cycle (two
years). This would allow participants to evaluate the
effectiveness of changes adopted and to make whatever
adjustments, large or small, may be called for.
Cellucci