CANADA'S VIEW ON PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY AND

UNCLAS OTTAWA 001109 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EFIN KUNR UNDP CA SUBJECT: CANADA'S VIEW ON PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM REF: STATE 80349 ¶1. (SBU) On June 11, POL M/C discussed U.S. plans to raise UNDP accountability issues at the current Executive Board meeting in New York. He spoke with Ferry de Kerckhove, Director General for International Organizations at Foreign Affairs (DFAIT) and with Roger Erhardt, Director General for UN Affairs at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Following the points in reftel, he covered the Board of Auditors report, focusing on North Korea,s wrongful use of UNDP funds, and asked for support for the U.S. transparency initiative. ¶2. (SBU) Both de Kerckhove and Erhardt reaffirmed that we were preaching to the converted. Canada was fully in agreement with our approach to the UNDP,s accountability deficiencies. Canada had joined the U.S. in criticizing the North Korean program at the last Executive Board meeting. Their delegation had already departed for New York for the current Board meeting and was working with the U.S. and other like-minded countries on ways to enhance accountability issues. Erhardt promised to convey the points from our demarche to the CIDA representatives, who have leadership of the Canadian delegation. In any case, Canada is on the record in favor of transparency. ¶3. (SBU) Patrick Wittman (Director for UN Affairs),who also attended the meeting, said some in Foreign Affairs were concerned by allegations appearing in the press that the DPRK had used UNDP funding to purchase property in Canada. DFAIT,s International Organizations Bureau is not aware of what was bought and when, and would like some background and clarification in case the story gets legs in Canada and lead to a query by senior officials. Visit our shared North American Partnership blog (Canada & Mexico) at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap DICKSON