60TH UNFC: CANADA HEARS USG CONCERNS ABOUT AD HOC

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 002987 SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2015 TAGS: AORC PARM PREL MNUC CA SUBJECT: 60TH UNFC: CANADA HEARS USG CONCERNS ABOUT AD HOC COMMITTEES, WANTS TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE REF: SECSTATE 185313 Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JOHN DICKSON. REASON 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) DCM and polmiloff met with Canadian Assistant Deputy Minister for International Security Jim Wright late on October 5 to present general points on the UNFC draft resolution and deliver oral points, as instructed. Arms Control Director Rob MacDougall and incoming Deputy Director Ron Stansfield sat in. ¶2. (C) Responding to the points in the non-paper, Wright sought to reassure us that Canada's intention in supporting AHCs was merely to "jumpstart" the CD, not undermine it. The alternative, he said, was to continue to "do nothing." Canada's concept of the AHC mechanism was that it would be pursued only in the continued absence of progress in the CD; were the CD to reach an understanding on a work plan there would be no need to activate AHCs. At the same time, Wright recognized that the AHC concept would need more fulsome discussion in New York. ¶3. (C) The GOC had no intention, Wright continued, of creating a separate vehicle to drive the CD agenda. The institution was "very important" to Canada, he said, and the prospect of yet another year of gridlock difficult to countenance. Wright affirmed that Canada greatly valued consensus, as did the U.S. McDougall noted that "using consensus to block discussion," however, was going too far. ¶4. (C) In conclusion, Wright asserted that the United States is a partner that Canada wants and needs in the CD. He noted that Canada would not/not be pursuing the two prior UNFC resolutions that had created such anxiety for the U.S. and conveyed assurance that Canada would examine USG concerns "carefully and constructively." Wright urgently appealed to the U.S. to help end the gridlock in the CD. ¶5. (C/NF) COMMENT: In a separate conversation on October 6, Stansfield (protect please) said that GOC was taken aback by the "vehemence" of USG demarche, particularly given that the AHC concept had not been widely discussed among other delegations, let alone tabled as a resolution. He confirmed that the DCM's message "was heard" and confided that Canadian Ambassador Meyer, who had been in the vanguard of Canadian activism on AHCs, was instructed to "stand down and not take a prominent role" in the briefing convened for October 6. END COMMENT. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa WILKINS