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.

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DICKSON