Cablegate: Canada's Response to Proposal for International

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SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAN AND INL FOR VERVILLE AND CLINE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON KCRM SNAR CA
SUBJECT: CANADA'S RESPONSE TO PROPOSAL FOR INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION ON DATA PROTECTION REFERENCE IN FRANCOPHONIE
SUMMIT STATEMENT

REF: STATE 159673 (NOTAL)

1. (SBU) On September 27, Economic Minister-Counselor
presented reftel demarche to Chantal de Varennes, Deputy
Director, Francophonie Affairs Division, Foreign Affairs
Canada (DFAIT), and Alain Tellier, Deputy Director, Criminal,
Security and Treaty Law Division, DFAIT. Both were familiar
with the last minute French efforts to insert language
calling for an international convention guaranteeing the
effectiveness of data protection law in the final declaration
of the September 28-29 Francophonie Summit in Bucharest,
Romania.

2. (SBU) Tellier provided Embassy with the text of the
original French proposal:

"Nous appelons a l'intensification des travaux de nature
legislative, reglementaire et organisationnelle necessaires a
la mise en oeuvre effective des regles de la protection des
personnes, de leurs liberte et droits fondamentaux dans
l'utilisation des fichiers et traitements de donnees a
caractere personnel, et, conscients de developpement de la
circulation de donnees personnelles a travers les frontieres,
sommes resolu a examiner en profondeur l'elaboration d'une
convention internationale garantissant, dans ces
circonstances, l'effectivite de cette protection."

3. (SBU) Our interlocutors agreed with the U.S. demarche that
the data protection issue is not appropriate to appear in the
final statement of the Francophonie Summit, Declaration of
Bucharest, and had wanted to have the paragraph removed.
However, the GOC eventually concluded for political reasons
that the matter could not be dropped entirely. Subsequently,
experts and Francophonie Ministers on September 26 agreed to
a reformulation of the paragraph, which Canada believes
weakens its intent.

4. (SBU) The revised language is as follows:

"Nous appelons a l'intensification des travaux necessaires a
l'adoption des legislations assurant la protection des
personnes, de leurs libertes et de leurs droits fondamentaux
dans l'utilisation des fichiers et traitements de donnees a
caractere personnel et, conscients de l'accroissement de la
circulation des donnees personnelles au-dela des frontieres,
marquons notre interet pour examiner l'opportunite d'elaborer
un instrument international garantissant, dans ces
circonstances, le droits des personnes a la protection des
donnees a caractere personnel, tout en tenant compte de nos
objectifs legitimes en matiere de lutte contre le crime, la
corruption et le terrorisme."

5. (SBU) The new language will be given to the Chiefs of
State and Heads of Government attending the Summit in
Bucharest tomorrow. The Canadians believe that it will be
approved unchanged, and promised to contact the Embassy if
there are any changes. Note: The Canadian delegation is
headed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and includes Minister
for International Development and for la Francophonie and
Official Languages Josee Verner, Quebec Premier Jean Charest
and New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord (who was defeated for
re-election last week, but his successor Shawn Graham asked
him to represent the province). End note.

6. (SBU) Tellier suggested that the revised language calling
for an international "instrument" rather than a "convention"
provides a great deal of flexibility. An instrument, he
Qprovides a great deal of flexibility. An instrument, he
explained, could be model legislation, a memorandum of
understanding, or other type of less than binding
undertaking. Moreover, Tellier pointed out that the final
sentence's reference to "taking account of our legitimate
objectives in the war against crime, corruption and
terrorism" was a great improvement. He said that the
International Law Commission (ILC) in New York may be
contemplating work in the area of data protection. Canada
would support such efforts, which Tellier pointed out, could
take many years and the final result could take many
different forms.

7. (U) Speaking more generally, the Canadians noted that the
inclusion of language on data protection indicates that the
Francophonie Summit, which meets every two years, is

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expanding its scope from the promotion of the French language
and culture to other issues, including politics, economics
and human rights. The next Francophonie summit will take
place in Quebec City in 2008, as part of the celebration of
the 400th anniversary of the French presence in Canada.

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

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