CANADA: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON OAS SOCIAL CHARTER

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000537 SIPDIS SENSITIVE WHA/USOAS -- M. SIGLER; WHA/CAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI XA XL XM CA FAC SUBJECT: CANADA: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON OAS SOCIAL CHARTER REF: STATE 029142 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche concerning Venezuela's bid to chair the OAS working group on the social charter, to Leonard Beaulne, Deputy Director of the Inter-American Affairs Division at Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC),on February 18. Beaulne relayed that FAC was also tracking this issue closely, and that the Government of Canada shares our misgivings on the Venezuelan draft, which Beaulne called unacceptable. He had heard that El Salvador may present an alternative proposal, drawing from a variety of other sources, and inquired if the U.S. had tabled a document as well. ¶2. (SBU) Beaulne indicated that Ambassador Durand was already in transit back to Washington. A copy of the demarche has been forwarded by FAC to their OAS Mission in Washington, so that it would be available for their review prior to the February 23rd visit to the OAS by Venezuela Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa DICKSON