CANADIAN SUPPORT FOR UNSC PIRACY RESOLUTION LIKELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000301 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/E, AF/RSA, IO/UNP, EEB/TRA/OTP, OES/OA, AND L E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2013 TAGS: PREL KCRM PBTS UNAUS UNSC IMO SO CA SUBJECT: CANADIAN SUPPORT FOR UNSC PIRACY RESOLUTION LIKELY REF: STATE 18101 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) According to Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) Eastern and Southern Africa Division Director Lisa Stadelbauer, Canada would likely support a UNSC resolution on piracy off the Somali coast as long as it conformed with international law. She said, however, that Canada would probably not have the resources to provide ships or other physical assistance. Stadelbauer explained that, in the fall of 2007, the Canadian government had discussed whether it could provide protection for UN World Food Program ships off the coast of Somalia, but had decided Canadian ships were too far away. She added that Canada was also in the process of determining its position on a G8 proposal on maritime security in Africa that would benefit Somalia. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS