CANADA TO MEET IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION PLEDGE

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000279 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID IZ CA SUBJECT: CANADA TO MEET IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION PLEDGE ¶1. (SBU) According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, CANADA is well on track to provide the CAD 300 million (approximately USD 295.39 million, at the current exchange rate) it pledged in 2003 to provide for Iraq reconstruction through 2010. As of September 2007, CANADA already had provided CAD 282.5 million (USD 280.06 million), or approximately 94 percent of its pledge, as below: Basic social and economic needs: CAD 108.5 million (USD 106.83 million) Humanitarian assistance: CAD 50.5 million (USD 49.72 million) Governance: CAD 97.8 million (USD 96.30 million) Security sector reform: CAD 17.5 million (USD 17.23 million) Regional democratic development: CAD 7.8 million (USD 7.68 million) ¶2. (SBU) Comment: The Canadian International Development Agency is now in the process of considering its programming for Iraqi reconstruction after 2010, although future assistance is likely to be nowhere near the level of Canada's 2003 pledge. CANADA has met its commitments and also found creative ways to assist Iraq with police and justice training, elections support, diplomatic training, and technical constitution-drafting assistance, among other areas. While the overall levels may go down, CANADA will remain an active partner in Iraqi reconstruction. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS