Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05CANBERRA729
2005-04-25 22:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:  

COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ELECTION STANDARDS

Tags:  PREL KDEM AS 
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UNCLAS CANBERRA 000729 

SIPDIS

PARIS PASS TO UNESCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM AS
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ELECTION STANDARDS
INITIATIVE: QUESTIONS FROM AUSTRALIA

REF: STATE 71941

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000729

SIPDIS

PARIS PASS TO UNESCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM AS
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ELECTION STANDARDS
INITIATIVE: QUESTIONS FROM AUSTRALIA

REF: STATE 71941


1. (U) On April 20 Poloff delivered reftel points to Nick
Turner, Director of the United Nations and Commonwealth
Section at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT). Turner told us on April 22 that he had conferred
with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and the
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and
that the GOA was in full agreement with the general
objectives of our proposal. Turner wondered, however,
whether the Community of Democracies initiative wouldn't
overlap with already existing regional initiatives. He
pointed to the Inter-Parliamentary Union's (IPU) 1994
"Declaration for Criteria for Free and Fair Elections,"
commenting that it would be a "pretty heroic task to obtain a
better consensus than was reached by the 112 delegates
present at the IPU Conference."


2. (U) Turner indicated that Australia was open to exploring
the idea further, but had the following questions:

-- How would members be chosen for the working group?

-- What would be the time frame for setting up the body?

-- How would the body be funded?


3. (U) Turner added that Australian Ambassador to Chile,
Elizabeth Schick, would be available to discuss the proposal
at the April 28-30 Community of Democracies Ministerial in
Santiago.

STANTON