CANADA: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE CONCERNING MEXICO

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000531 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2015 TAGS: PHUM MX CA CHR SUBJECT: CANADA: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE CONCERNING MEXICO HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE REF: STATE 022969 Classified By: POLITICAL M/C BRIAN FLORA, REASON 1.4 (B). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered demarche (per reftel) regarding Mexico's regional human rights initiative and our concerns that this might serve to undermine Cuba-specific (or other country-specific) resolutions at the UN's Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to Katherine Verrier-Frechette, Senior Human Rights Officer at Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC),on February ¶14. ¶2. (C) According to Verrier-Frechette, FAC, while sharing our concerns, doesn't see any clear indication at this point that the Government of Mexico is using this initiative as a means to usurp country-specific resolutions at the CHR. However, given the possibility that such action could result, Verrier-Frechette indicated that FAC is tracking this issue closely as they prepare for the CHR, noting that Marie Gervais-Vidricaire, Director General of the Global Issues Branch at FAC, has been discussing this with DRL AA/S Kozak. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa DICKSON