INAUGURAL U.S.-CANADA DEMOCRACY SUPPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 OTTAWA 000495 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR DRL, USAID, INL, S/CRS AND WHA/CAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KDEM CA SUBJECT: INAUGURAL U.S.-CANADA DEMOCRACY SUPPORT CONSULTATIONS DEFINE WAY FORWARD REF: A. OTTAWA 281 ¶B. OTTAWA 249 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: During the first U.S.-Canada Democracy Support Consultations in Ottawa in late May, the delegations agreed to explore establishing an early warning and rapid response task force for threats to democratic governance. Canada will consider placing the issue of restrictive NGO laws on the 2010 G-8 agenda. Other ideas included developing cooperation between U.S. and Canadian public broadcasters and strengthening inter-parliamentary contact on threats to civil society. Both delegations agreed to work toward strengthening the Inter-American Democratic Charter and greater information sharing on imprisoned human rights defenders. The next consultations will focus largely on democracy in the Americas. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Led by Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Karen Stewart and Canada's Director General of Foreign Affairs for Democracy and Human Rights Adele Dion, the first U.S.-Canada Democracy Consultations took place in Ottawa May 19-20. Canada had requested the consultations to identify additional areas of cooperation and to align its policies more closely with those of the U.S. The U.S. delegation included officials from DRL, S/P, USAID, and Embassy Ottawa, while the Canadian side included representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT),Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),and Privy Council Office (PCO). Canada Emphasizing Democracy Support -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Canada provides democracy assistance through DFAIT, CIDA, international organizations, and Canadian NGOs such as the International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development ("Rights and Democracy") as well as the Parliamentary Center. This assistance focuses primarily on supporting democratic transitions in countries already on the path to democracy. In July 2007, the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee recommended strengthening Canada's role in international democratic development, including calling for a new non-partisan democracy promotion agency. The establishment of a new agency became official government policy following the Governor General's November 2008 Speech from the Throne (marking the beginning of the 40th Parliament after the October 2008 federal election). While the agency is still in the planning stages, Minister of State for Democratic Reform Steven Fletcher has indicated that it would support like-minded political parties abroad (reftels). According to DG Dion, DFAIT is feeding ideas for the new agency to the PCO. Canada is also setting up a regional Democracy hub for the Andes in Lima (ref b). DG Dion added that, under Prime Minister Harper, democracy and rule of law Qthat, under Prime Minister Harper, democracy and rule of law had been the central themes of the October 2008 Francophonie Summit in Quebec City. "Whole of Government" Approach -------------- ¶4. (SBU) DG Dion outlined Canada's "whole of government" approach to democracy assistance and the importance of coordination among DFAIT, CIDA, and the Canadian Forces. Canada has been trying this coordinated approach in Afghanistan, according to Dion, admitting that Canada aims to be more "nimble." Canadian NGO contacts who participated in the opening dinner also noted that it can take decades to establish democracy, and called for better donor coordination focused on medium to long-term results. A-A/S Stewart underscored that DRL and USAID coordinate closely with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, S/CRS, and other agencies OTTAWA 00000495 002 OF 005 and bureaus. A-A/S Stewart and DG Dion agreed on potential benefits from cross-training diplomats with development colleagues. Good Governance and Tailored Strategies -------------- ¶5. (SBU) USAID's Legislative Strengthening expert Keith Schulz stressed that political governance is a key to democratic development, and that more attention should be focused on parliamentary work as well as on supporting leaders once they gain power, rather than preparing them for electoral competition. USAID's Director of Democracy and Governance Dorothy Taft noted that good governance is also essential for effective and sustainable health and development assistance. Taft emphasized the importance of tailoring strategies to individual countries by considering election dates and considering other local factors. CIDA is piloting its Governance Analysis Tool (GAT) in Pakistan and Ethiopia to assess what governance assistance may be needed and to evaluate ongoing programs. The U.S. and Canada agreed on the importance of accountability in designing and rolling out programs. Defending Civil Society -------------- ¶6. (SBU) USAID's Schulz highlighted restrictive NGO laws, praising the work of the International Center for Non-Profit Law (ICNL). DFAIT's Human Rights Director Donica Pottie acknowledged World Bank efforts in this area. DFAIT will suggest that the question of how to confront restrictive NGO legislation be on the 2010 G-8 agenda. DFAIT officials commented that repressive regimes regularly consult on how to tighten their laws regulating NGOs and that democracies should share best practices in combating this trend. Parliamentarians have a vital role to play in engaging fellow parliamentarians on civil society legislation, good governance, and anti-corruption. Working in Repressive Contexts -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The Canadian NGO "Rights and Democracy" has worked with the Burmese government-in-exile and Burmese media since the early 1990s and has also developed valuable networks in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. U.S. programs to promote democratization in repressive countries include exchange programs, third-country training for human rights activists, Embassy-administered small grants programs, American Corners, and public broadcasting (RFE/RL and VOA etc.). DG Dion called for greater consultation between U.S. and Canadian broadcasters, noting that Canada contributes to the global francophone TV5 channel. The delegations agreed that new technologies and blogs create additional opportunities for democracy programming. The America.gov website's "Democracy Challenge" has given citizens around the world a forum for expressing what democracy means to them. Canadian officials expressed interest in learning more about polling conducted Qexpressed interest in learning more about polling conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) in authoritarian countries. Greater Consultation in Capitals and the Field -------------- - ¶8. (SBU) The U.S. and Canada agreed on the need for more systematic consultation between Washington and Ottawa as well as among diplomatic personnel on the ground in repressive environments. DG Dion stated that Canadian diplomats should more actively "fly the flag" by meeting with human rights activists under duress and observing court trials of human rights defenders. A-A/S Stewart commented on the success of OTTAWA 00000495 003 OF 005 the U.S. forensic assistance program. Conflict Zones - Canada in Kandahar -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Elissa Golberg, Director General of DFAIT's Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (START) and former Representative of Canada in Kandahar (ROCK), emphasized the importance of local level engagement and legitimacy and of understanding human geography. Golberg also stressed sustainable development and working through the Afghan government. While the Canadian military might be able to provide a generator to a village overnight, it is better practice for villagers to learn how to talk to their own leaders to ensure that their government responds to their needs. While Afghans need to better engage their government, the Canadian government needs to create stronger incentives for its officials engaged in democracy promotion, according to DFAIT officials. They lamented that Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) volunteers for assignments in Afghanistan and Haiti do not find this service career-enhancing. They admitted that Canada still needs better incentives to attract quality staff. Preventing Failed States -------------- ¶10. (SBU) DFAIT and CIDA officials emphasized that it is cheaper to prevent state failure than to deal with the aftermath of a failed state and that Canada is expanding its mediation capabilities. CIDA officials noted that the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) has also developed principles for engagement with fragile states. CIDA's two year-old Deployment for Democratic Development (DDD) program deploys Canadian experts abroad for anywhere from 6-18 months. Democracy Support in the Americas -------------- ¶11. (SBU) DFAIT's Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean James Lambert confirmed that the Americas are central to Canadian foreign policy. Lambert praised the USG for not taking the bait of responding to Bolivarian provocations of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bolivian leader Evo Morales. A-A/S Stewart noted that the populist Bolivarian approach is not economically sustainable. Lambert commented that Canada is the second largest contributor to the Organization of American States (OAS),after the U.S., and urged that both countries work together to make the OAS more effective generally but also specifically in democracy promotion. PCO Foreign and Defense Policy Operations Director and former Canadian Ambassador to Colombia Matthew Levin stated that security, prosperity, and democratic development are all inter-linked and mutually reinforcing, adding that the OAS Mission in Colombia played a vital role in overseeing the disarmament and demobilization process. More Robust International Forums -------------- Q -------------- ¶12. (SBU) A-A/S Stewart argued that the U.S. and Canada should more fully utilize regional forums such as the OAS and Community of Democracies (CD) to address democracy and human rights issues. The U.S. and Canada support the OAS-African Union (AU) "Democracy Bridge" to build stronger linkages between the two organizations in democracy and governance. The CD should be more robust and action-oriented, she added, while expressing high hopes that the upcoming Lithuanian chairmanship may move the CD agenda forward. ¶13. (SBU) DFAIT officials noted that the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) can suspend members that OTTAWA 00000495 004 OF 005 violate democratic norms, as in the case of Pakistan. The Commonwealth can also organize pre-election and post-election observer missions. ¶14. (SBU) DFAIT officials pointed to the Ottawa-based Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), whose funders include USAID, the State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI),and CIDA; its head is a member of the Kuwaiti National Assembly. DFAIT officials expressed support for the Extractive Industries Initiative (EII) as a development tool for strengthening civil society. Engaging Regional Players -------------- ¶15. (SBU) U.S. officials noted the importance of working closely with regional leaders such as China, India, and South Africa when addressing the situation in repressive regimes such as North Korea, Burma, and Zimbabwe, with whom we may have less leverage. DFAIT's Human Rights and Democracy Director Donica Pottie commented that more could be done to harness the half dozen Burma Parliamentary Caucuses in the ASEAN region. Pottie also noted that parliamentarians can craft a wide range of pretexts for visiting Burma. DG Dion noted that high level visits can reassure fragile governments under pressure, as occurred in Georgia's war with Russia. ¶16. (SBU) DG Dion opined that Indonesia is seeking to play a leading regional role in human rights and democratic development. Indonesian interlocutors have told her that the Asia-Pacific Democracy Partnership and Bali Partnership complement one another. Next Steps in U.S.-Canadian Cooperation -------------- ¶17. (SBU) There was agreement on the following areas: -- further explore establishing an early warning Rapid Response Task Force on threats to democratic governance (with DRL and DFAIT to work out additional details); -- systematize the sharing of information about at-risk human rights and democracy defenders/activists; -- consideration of adding the issue of restrictive NGO laws to the G-8 agenda for 2010, when Canada hosts; -- develop cooperation between our public broadcasting networks; -- strengthen Parliamentarian/Congressional legislature-to-legislature direct outreach; -- regular consultation on threats to civil society, and engaging Parliament/Congress on these threats; -- interlocking efforts to strengthen implementation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter; -- exploration of the current and possible increased levels of involvement in UN mediation efforts; and, -- greater information-sharing in multilateral forums such as the Asia-Pacific Democracy Partnership, Bali Democracy Forum, Community of Democracies, UN Democracy Fund, AU/NEPAD, and GOPAC. Greater Information Sharing -------------- ¶18. (SBU) The U.S. and Canada also committed to greater Q18. (SBU) The U.S. and Canada also committed to greater information-sharing on Canada's planned Lima-based Democracy Hub and USAID's mobile technology report. Canada will also share the results of its democracy reporting requirements pilot program and democracy training course. The U.S. will create communication channels among other democracy-related actors such as INL (rule of law),EEB (Partnership for Democratic Governance),Millennium Challenge Corporation, and S/CRS with Canada's START program. Both sides agreed to add OTTAWA 00000495 005 OF 005 non-governmental actors such as democracy-focused NGOs and academics to future Consultations and to consider inviting the United Kingdom to the next meeting. The next Democracy Support Consultation will include at least one day on the Americas by addressing the OAS and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, engaging the Bolivarians more effectively on democracy issues, attacks on civil society, and possible expansion or replication of the OAS-AU Democracy Bridge to other regional organs, such as ASEAN. ¶19. (U) A-A/S Stewart has cleared this cable. Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BREESE