CANADA SUPPORTS RESOLUTION ON COMPLIANCE WITH

UNCLAS OTTAWA 001251 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN W. MENHOLD AND VCI S. HORN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL UNGA CA SUBJECT: CANADA SUPPORTS RESOLUTION ON COMPLIANCE WITH NON-PROLIFERATION, ARMS LIMITATION AND DISARMAMENT AGREEMENTS REF: STATE 87531 ¶1. (SBU) Following up on reftel demarche, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Deputy Director for Nuclear Non-Proliferation Craig Weichel told pol/mil officer on September 19 that Canada would vote for the U.S.-sponsored UNGA First Committee Resolution on Compliance with Non-Proliferation, Arms Limitation and Disarmament Agreements. Weichel noted, however that, unlike the U.S. records (reftel, para 5),his government's UN voting matrix indicated that Canada voted for, but did not sponsor, a very similar resolution in 2005. ¶2. (SBU) Weichel further explained that, with the government now in "caretaker status" in advance of the October 14 federal election, it would be nearly impossible for him to get authorization to co-sponsor the resolution this year. "Caretaker rules" call on the bureaucracy to "do as they did" in previous votes as much as possible, he noted. Given the strong similarity between the 2005 and 2008 resolutions, the best Canada could do in this instance would be to promise to vote for, but not sponsor, the resolution at the 2008 UNGA, according to Weichel. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS