Cablegate: Canadian Representation at Csd-16

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SENSITIVE
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DEPT FOR WHA, IO/EDA AND OES/ENV

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV AORC PREL EAGR EUN EAID ECON CA
SUBJECT: CANADIAN REPRESENTATION AT CSD-16

REF: STATE 40180

Sensitive but Unclassified. Protect accordingly.

1. (SBU) Embassy made demarche requested reftel and discussed
U.S. views on Zimbabwe chairing the 16th session of the UN
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-16) with Pamela
O'Donnell, director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade's Sustainable Development Division.
O'Donnell confirmed that Canada has similar concerns with
Francis Nhema chairing CSD-16 and is "on the same wavelength"
with the U.S. on this matter.

2. (SBU) O'Donnell said the Canadian delegation to the
meeting will be lead by her deputy (Rachel McCormick), but
that the highest ranking member of the delegation will
actually be a director general (roughly equivalent to a
deputy assistant secretary) from Agriculture Canada. While
Canada will thus not be represented at a high level at
CSD-16, this in fact is not a departure from previous
meetings: O'Donnell said it had been years since a Canadian
minister attended.

3. (SBU) O'Donnell added that Canadian officials had been
hearing rumors recently that Zimbabwe might yield chair
duties for the meeting to Tanzania, ostensibly because Nhema
might not be able to depart Zimbabwe.

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