CANADA: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON FOURTH GLOBAL

UNCLAS OTTAWA 001128 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM PREL PINR KFRD SOCI CVIS CA GF IV FAC SUBJECT: CANADA: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON FOURTH GLOBAL FORUM ON FIGHTING CORRUPTION, BRASILIA, BRAZIL, JUNE 7-10, 2005 REF: STATE 063279 ¶1. Poloff delivered reftel demarche discussing the Fourth Global Forum on Fighting Corruption (GF IV) to Alain Tellier, Deputy Director of the International Crime and Terrorism Division at Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC),on April 8. Tellier thanked us for the points, said that FAC was tracking the preparations for GF IV closely, and advised that he would pass this demarche within FAC and to their embassy in Brasilia. ¶2. Continuing, Tellier indicated that FAC has ongoing concerns on the logistical planning for GF IV, especially when compared to the previous two GF conferences in South Korea and The Netherlands. He said that several Government of Canada (GoC) ministries have offered to send speakers to GF IV, but that FAC has yet to receive any definitive response from the conference organizers. Likewise, he said that GF IV conference organizers have not responded to queries that FAC has made about hotel rooms and other logistical questions. Tellier also noted that the proposed agenda may be too ambitious, and that he has concerns that the conference itself may lack focus, as compared to previous GF conferences. ¶3. According to Tellier, with less than two months until the start of the conference, these problems are hampering FAC's planning for GF IV. There is no current plan for a minister-led delegation, and Tellier noted that with the lack of information from GF IV organizers, senior level GoC officials may not be able to attend, due to other GoC scheduling commitments. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa DICKSON