GUATEMALA & CAFTA ENVIRONMENT PUBLIC SUBMISSION

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000162 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ETRD GT SUBJECT: GUATEMALA & CAFTA ENVIRONMENT PUBLIC SUBMISSION PROCESS REF: SECSTATE 12518 ¶1. Embassy learned from GOG that its preference is to have SIECA (Secretaria de la Integracion Economica Centroamericana) (a SICA body, as is the CCAD) enforce the environmental chapter because its members include ONLY the Central Americans. An office of trade and environment within SIECA (NAFTA secretariat-like) is the idea. They are not in favor of CCAD simply because its members include outsiders. These are currently the DR, which is due to dock with the CAFTA countries, and Panama. We note that the composition of the Ministry of Economy is changing with the inauguration of a new government last week, so its views are subject to change. ¶2. We don't know of any taint that will remain with CCAD from the former executive director's tenure. CCAD currently has and will have new ministers of environment holding the president pro tempore position due to post-election cabinet changes. Guatemala's Minister of Environment has been in place a week and El Salvdor, which takes over the CCAD in July, has elections in March. ¶2. The OAS has many more members than CCAD but has a good reputation in Guatemala. If it were chosen to handle the CAFTA public submission process, the GOG could live with it. ¶3. AID/Guatemala believes CCAD is the appropriate vehicle for this process and has responded through its own channels in support of CCAD. HAMILTON