CANADIAN CAPACITY ISSUES SHAPE MEXICAN SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 000263 SIPDIS DHS FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV KCRM KJUS KCOR SNAR MX CA SUBJECT: CANADIAN CAPACITY ISSUES SHAPE MEXICAN SECURITY COOPERATION PLANS REF: OTTAWA 194 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Following a successful visit to Mexico (reftel),Canadian officials are now analyzing how best to help Mexico reform its police and corrections sectors. Canada will likely focus its assistance on revamping police recruit education, strengthening witness security programs, and building anti-money laundering capacity. However, Canada's other international civilian policing deployments -- in Haiti, Sudan, and Afghanistan -- limit the available human capital with which to help Mexico. Public Safety Minister Van Loan will be prepared to discuss collaboration in assisting Mexico during DHS Secretary Napolitano's upcoming visit to Ottawa. A DVC between Canadian officials and USG officials involved in the Merida Initiative would be useful next step as Canada refines its own approach, and Embassy will coordinate with WHA, INL, and Mexico City on this. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) FULL SCHEDULE, EXCELLENT ACCESS: In a meeting with DHS Attache and Deputy Pol/C on March 31, Department of Public Safety Canada Director General for International Affairs Artur Wilczynski described the outcomes of a March 12-13 inter-agency visit to Mexico City for discussions with counterparts. He said that the goal had been to determine how best to assist President Calderon's efforts to strengthen security in Mexico and to reform the police and corrections sectors. The Canadian delegation had a full schedule of "excellent" meetings with a host of Mexican officials (see para 10 for detailed list of participants),as well as representatives from the British, French, New Zealand, Dutch, and U.S. embassies. In addition to Wilczynski, the Canadian delegation included a director general from the Canadian corrections service, representatives from the Canadian Department of Justice, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) experts in witness security and anti-money laundering. ¶3. (C) DAUNTING TASK: Wilczynski commented that Mexico faces an enormous burden as it "is basically changing its entire criminal justice system in the middle of a security crisis." He added that the popular press "hysterics" over the elevated violence in certain parts of Mexico are "not helpful, nor reflective of reality." As reported in reftel, the delegation's visit grew out of a renewed Mexico-Canada security dialogue; Wilczynski also detailed the history and current status of the Canada-Mexico Security Working Group, established in February 2007 (septel). ¶4. (C) COORDINATION PROBLEMS EVIDENT: Wilczynski said that his biggest "takeaway was that the U.S. is there in a major way" with the Merida Initiative and that Canada will need to consult closely and frequently with U.S. counterparts to leverage Canada's relatively modest planned program of cooperation. He also observed that the international community is doing "very little coordinating," nor is the Mexican government. Wilczynski noted that "each meeting brought a new set of priorities" from Mexican officials, commenting that he is "not sure that Mexico knows what it wants" from Canada or "what it needs" from international partners. He observed that the Mexicans "seem to be going to all their international partners and asking for the same things." Wilczynski opined that the Mexicans "appear to be overwhelmed by Merida" and said that Canada will seek to Qoverwhelmed by Merida" and said that Canada will seek to avoid increasing the burden for key Mexican security officials. However, after two years of discussions with security officials, he said that Canada was well aware of the "turf battles" among Mexican agencies. ¶5. (C) EDUCATING MEXICO ABOUT CANADA: Wilczynski's recommendation will be that Canada begin by educating the Mexicans on Canadian capabilities, notably to "help them understand Canada is not the United States" -- nor Mexico. According to Public Safety's Director for North American Chris Gregory, the Mexicans had asked Canada to share the curriculum from any anti-corruption course for RCMP cadets, but the RCMP does not even have such a course, since good governance and anti-corruption are an integral part of civic education from early childhood in Canada, long before a recruit enters the RCMP training depot. In the area of corrections, Gregory stressed that the Mexicans need to understand Canadian attitudes toward the penal system to recognize where Mexico and Canada might differ. Gregory said that Canada will likely offer to host senior Mexican officials for an extended visit to the RCMP training depot and corrections training facilities as a starting point. OTTAWA 00000263 002 OF 003 ¶6. (C) PRACTICAL, RESULTS-ORIENTED FOCUS: Canada is currently in "analysis mode," according to Wilczynski, as the inter-agency decides on next steps. Canada's first decision will be "do we engage nationally, at the state level, or focus on local municipalities?" Canada is also mulling a geographic focus on a particular state that is particularly in need of help. Wilczynski predicted that Public Safety would most likely propose helping with curriculum design for police recruits, enhancing witness security programs, and building anti-money laundering capacity. He acknowledged that Canada's efforts will pale in comparison to the Merida Initiative and reiterated that Public Safety Canada will be looking to coordinate closely and frequently with U.S. counterparts to "leverage" scarce Canadian resources. He expressed Canada's desire to focus on areas where the two countries can achieve practical, tangible results. ¶7. (C) COMPLEMENTARITY AND COMPETING DEMANDS: Wilczynski underscored that Canada was seeking the optimal value-added for Mexico, while complementing what other international partners are already doing. He emphasized that he was trying to manage expectations within the inter-agency process, especially at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, since Canada has only limited human capital available for international training and capacity building. He noted that Canada was already contributing RCMP officers to international missions in Haiti, Sudan, and Afghanistan. Wilczynski said that "it is not just an issue of dollars for us, but rather finding individuals who can do the job and have language skills and the knowledge necessary." (Note: Canada has also recently publicly pledged a further 50 RCMP officers to help train the Afghan police. End note) He predicted that most Canadian programs would likely be "train the trainers" models, since Canada does not have the people or resources to do large-scale individual training or mentoring. ¶8. (C) PUBLIC SAFETY MINISTER READY: Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan would be ready to discuss how the U.S. and Canada could cooperate on Mexico to improve the security situation there when DHS Secretary Napolitano visits Ottawa in mid-April, according to Wilczynski He added that Canada has a host of bilateral issues to discuss, but is happy to add Mexico to the agenda if Secretary Napolitano wishes. ¶9. (C) NEXT STEPS: Given Canada's desire to coordinate closely with international partners, especially the U.S., on Mexico, Embassy will work with WHA, INL, and Embassy Mexico City to put RCMP and Public Safety experts in contact with Merida Initiative counterparts. One easy option as a first step would be to organize a DVC for relevant Canadian officials with Washington- and Mexico City-based USG officials working on the Merida Initiative. ¶10. (SBU) Mexican Security Roundtable Participants: -- Office of the President Sigrid Artz Technical National Security Advisor to the President -- Public Security Secretariat Anna Luis Victor Hugo, Deputy Director General for International Affairs Hector Sanchez Baena, Director for U.S. and Canada -- Attorney General's Office Adrian Franco, Coordinator, International Affairs and Legal Issues -- Ministry of Interior Dr. Carlo Natarin, Director General, Inter-Institutions Relations Beatriz Ramirez, Deputy Director General, Inter-Institutions QBeatriz Ramirez, Deputy Director General, Inter-Institutions Relations Dr. Luis Estrada, Legal Counsel, Coordination of Legal Counselors Jessica Duque, Counselor, Migration -- Center for Research on National Security Alejandro Hope, Director of International Affairs -- Foreign Ministry Alexjandro Estivill, Director General for North America Jesus Rodriguez Montero, Deputy Director General for Canada Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / OTTAWA 00000263 003 OF 003 BREESE