CANADA SUPPORTS CYBERCRIME CONVENTION, DESPITE

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001070 SIPDIS DEPT FOR L/LEI-BUCHHOLZ, INL/C-VIGIL, AND EUR/PGI-MANRING E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2018 TAGS: EINT KCRM KJUS PGOV PREL CA SUBJECT: CANADA SUPPORTS CYBERCRIME CONVENTION, DESPITE FUNDING ISSUES REF: STATE 77138 (ENHANCING LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION) Classified By: Classified By: A/PolMinCouns Kurt van der Walde, reasons, 1.4 (b) ¶1. (C) Government of Canada counterparts told acting political counselor on August 13 that Canada strongly supports the Council of Europe Cybercrime convention. They described the GOC's position as almost identical to that of the U.S., especially with respect to Russian resistance and gamesmanship. Canada has signed the treaty instrument and plans to ratify it in the next parliamentary session this fall, according to Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) interlocutors. ¶2. (C) DFAIT cybercrime policy advisor Graham Gleddie said that Canada,s deliberate ratification pace has no basis in policy, but rather centers around internal budget battles. The government introduced the enabling legislation during last spring,s parliamentary session, but pulled it back after several ministries requested significant new funding to implement fully their new duties under the treaty, said Gleddie. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police requested C$29 million in additional funding to carry out its new mandates, for example, he said. DFAIT requested C$3 million for international cooperation and capacity building efforts for less developed countries. These resource requests caused the Prime Minister's Office to pull back the convention to get a better handle on the future budgetary implications for the government as a whole, said Geddie. ¶3. (C) DFAIT, Public Safety Canada, and the Ministry of Justice tied the ratification process to new funding so as not to cannibalize their budgets with this new mission, said Gleddie. He reiterated several times that the internal budget tussle was not bureaucratic maneuvering to mask policy disagreements by any of the ministries. Privacy advocacy groups do oppose Canada,s ascension to the treaty, he said, but they will not likely be able to block ratification given the Harper Government,s strong support. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS