Cablegate: Stockholm Donors Meeting: Canadian Aid to Lebanon

VZCZCXRO1743
OO RUEHAST
DE RUEHOT #2550 2372119
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 252119Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3583
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0231

UNCLAS OTTAWA 002550

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS WHA/CAN, NEA, AND EUR/ERA - JULIE COOPER
USAID FOR ANE AND DCHA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CA EAID LE PREL SW
SUBJECT: STOCKHOLM DONORS MEETING: CANADIAN AID TO LEBANON
AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

REF: A. STATE 139903

B. OTTAWA 2467 (NOTAL)

1. (SBU) On August 25, EMIN presented ref A demarche to
Douglas Williams, Director General, Middle East and Maghreb
Directorate, Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA), which is Canada's counterpart to USAID. According to
Williams, Canada's delegation to the August 31 Stockholm
Conference for Lebanon's Early Recovery will be headed by
Gilles Rivard, Vice President, Europe, Middle East and
Maghreb Branch, Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA). Other delegation members are Douglas Williams;
Catherine Bragg, Director General, Humanitarian Assistance,
Peace and Security Directorate, CIDA; and Peter McRae,
Director, Middle East Division, Foreign Affairs and
International Trade Canada (DFAIT). Williams thought that
others may join the delegation over the weekend. There is a
possibility of a "political figure" being added, possibly a
Canadian Member of Parliament, but below the Ministerial
level.

2. (SBU) Since the beginning of the Lebanon crisis last
month, Canada has made three public statements on its aid to
Lebanon. On August 16, Prime Minister Harper announced the
formation of a new Lebanon Relief Fund through which Canada
will give C$25 million for Lebanon reconstruction and relief
efforts over the next two years. C$15 million will be
largely directed to UN agencies and the ICRC. Williams said
that some of the C$15 million would go to Canadian NGOs and
to the UN Mine Action Service for the clearance of unexploded
ordinance. A portion would go to the UN Development Program
in response to its early recovery appeal. This would be used
for municipal infrastructure repair, the clearance of rubble,
aid to displaced fishermen, and oil spill clean up.

4. (SBU) Williams indicated that C$10 million will support
stabilization efforts and provide civilian support for
implementation of UNSCR 1701. DFAIT is preparing options on
how this money may be used to enhance peace and security.
The August 16 C$25 million aid package supplements previous
Canadian aid for Lebanon announced in late July, which totals
C$5.5 million. Ref B provides details on the aid's
composition and distribution as announced by the Prime
Minister.

5. (SBU) According to Williams, the Prime Minister's Office
(PMO) is studying the possibility of additional Canadian aid,
which could be announced prior to the Stockholm meeting. He
indicated that Canada has "modest expectations" for the
outcome of the conference, which he said is being given a
high profile by the Swedish government because of the
upcoming Swedish elections.

6. (SBU) Williams noted that the Canadian Embassy in Beirut
is already involved in small-scale reconstruction
initiatives, and this effort may be expanded in the future.
He told EMIN that Canada expects details on reconstruction
assistance to be elaborated at a major reconstruction
conference to be held in Lebanon in late October or November.
However, Williams admitted that one impediment to Canada's
distribution of aid, especially to towns in southern Lebanon,
where Hezbollah has some governmental power, is that
organization's designation as a terrorist group under
Canada's criminal code. This renders Hezbollah ineligible
for Canadian assistance.

7. (SBU) Williams and Rivard plan to remain for the Stockholm
International Donor Conference on the Humanitarian Situation
QInternational Donor Conference on the Humanitarian Situation
in the Palestinian Terrorities on September 1. This meeting
will discuss the UN appeal, which was launched in May.
Williams said that Canada has given C$9 million in response
to this appeal as well as to a similar one from UNRWA.
Another C$1 million is being given to the Red Cross in Gaza.
There is a possibility of further Canadian contributions to
the Palestinian Territories through the World Food Program
(WFP), UNRWA and other UN agencies, but it is not clear when
this might be announced.

Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa

DICKSON

© Scoop Media