VZCZCXRO8420
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0593/01 1161830
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251830Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7757
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0398

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 000593 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/P, G, DRL, WHA/CAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM PREL CA
SUBJECT: CANADIAN EFFORTS TO PROMOTE DEMOCRATIZATION ABROAD 
 
REF: 07 OTTAWA 01878 
 
OTTAWA 00000593  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The government of Conservative Prime 
Minister Stephen Harper has taken a middle course between the 
large expansion of democratization capacity that a 
Parliamentary committee recommended in July 2007 and the ad 
hoc approach it had been following before then.  Canada is 
justifiably cautious about taking on any major new 
commitments while it is so heavily engaged in Afghanistan and 
while the Conservatives remain in minority status in the 
House of Commons, but the government has made supporting 
freedom and democracy a key priority.  It is now implementing 
several new approaches, including better coordination of 
Canadian organizations involved in democratization, more 
systematic research and analysis, and a forthcoming policy 
statement.  It continues to support the alphabet soup of 
democratization programs -- the CD, PDG, and APDP.  A recent 
trip to Pakistan by representatives of the 
government-supported but independent Democracy Council 
highlighted a new approach to democratization that combines 
for the first time direct work with parties in the midst of a 
political process.  Canada continues to welcome its exchanges 
with State on promoting democratization overseas.  End 
Summary. 
 
PARLIAMENT URGES NEW APPROACHES TO DEMOCRATIZATION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On July 11, 2007 the House of Commons' Standing 
Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade after 
extensive hearings tabled a report entitled "Advancing 
Canada's role in International Support for Democratic 
Development" (reftel).  The Committee recommended a number of 
new approaches to supporting democracy abroad, including a 
new research center and a political party institute (along 
the lines of the Dutch Institute for Multiparty Democracy) to 
help channel the personnel and experience of Canadian 
political parties into overseas democracy promotion.  The 
most ambitious recommendation was for the creation of a new 
independent institute -- the "Canada Foundation for 
International Democratic Development" -- that would have the 
mandate to develop and deliver programs in the field.  Its 
model would be the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy -- 
and the Committee called for generous multi-year funding. 
 
THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Government responded to the report on November 
2, 2007 with a white paper entitled "A New Focus on Democracy 
Support."  The government declined to support a NED-style 
organization, but explicitly confirmed that "supporting 
freedom and democracy is a key priority of the Government of 
Canada," while proposing new measures, including: 
 
--  preparation of a "Whole-of-Government" policy statement 
on "Democracy Support" by May 2, 2008; 
 
--  establishment of a Canadian research program on democracy 
support and a "Democracy Partners Research and Study 
Program," as well as comprehensive country-level governance 
assessments to inform major development programs; 
 
--  improved coordination of Canadian organizations, 
including support for the expansion and formalization of 
Canada's government-funded but independent "Democracy 
Council" (which includes representatives from the 
International Development Research Council, Elections Canada, 
the Montreal-based NGO "Rights and Democracy," the 
Parliamentary Centre, the Forum of Federations, and the 
National Judicial Institute), as well as other non-government 
QNational Judicial Institute), as well as other non-government 
organizations active in democracy support; 
 
--  continuation of an annual "Democracy Dialogue;" and, 
 
--  a new "Democratic Transitions Fund" for diplomatic 
efforts in support of democracy. 
 
CHARTING NEW COURSES... 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U)  The Department of Foreign Affairs and International 
Trade's (DFAIT) Global Peace and Security Fund subsequently 
financed a conference in late February organized by the 
Queen's University Centre for the Study of Democracy on 
"Creating Democratic Value: Evaluating Efforts to Promote 
Democracy Abroad."  It brought together a group of global 
experts to begin to set the parameters for evaluating 
 
OTTAWA 00000593  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
democratization programs, and included a presentation by 
poloff. 
 
¶5.  (U)  The Democracy Council in March sent three of its 
members plus one consultant on a mission to Pakistan to 
determine what programs the Council might develop to help 
with Pakistan's democratic transition.  This was the first 
time it had sent a mission of this kind to the field in its 
two year existence, and the first time to offer support to 
foreign political parties. 
 
¶6.  (U)  The DFAIT-sponsored "Democracy Dialogue" brings 
together an international audience each year to focus on key 
themes in democratization.  The February 2008 Dialogue (which 
poloff attended as the sole foreign diplomat)  focused on 
"Canadian Approaches to Democracy Support in Latin America," 
with participation by former Vice President of Guatemala 
Eduardo Stein and OAS Undersecretary for Political Affairs 
Dante Caputo. 
 
¶7.  (U)  Canada's Treasury Board has now vetted the new 
"Democratic Transitions Fund," which will have multi-year 
money that DFAIT -- rather than the more development-oriented 
Canadian International Development Agency -- will manage.  It 
will begin to support diplomatic efforts at democratization. 
CIDA will separately by the end of 2008 begin to publish a 
new "Annual Report on Development Results" as well as a new 
"Annual Report on Democracy Spending" to provide greater 
clarity to the government's international democratization 
efforts. 
 
...WHILE STAYING IN THE GAME 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) According to DFAIT Democracy Unit officials, Canada 
continues to try to focus its limited resources where it can 
do the most good in the democratization arena, and wants to 
remain engaged in a number of areas without diverting 
attention from its highest priorities.  Other ongoing 
democratization efforts include: 
 
--  Community of Democracies (CD):  Canada remains fully 
supportive of the CD, but is not particularly active in the 
organization between ministerials.  Its key contribution to 
date has been primary funding for "A Diplomat's Handbook for 
Democracy Development Support," a project headed by retired 
Canadian Ambassador Jeremy Kinsman.  The publication is a 
unique contribution to the literature of democratization, 
putting together a "diplomat's toolbox," including case 
studies; 
 
--  Partnership for Democratic Governance (PDG):  Canada is 
currently the Vice Chair of the Executive Committee and has 
committed even more funding and personnel for the PDG than 
the CD.  Its current commitment is C$3 million (approximately 
US$3 million) over a three year period.  DFAIT has not had 
any response to date from its missions in Latin America to a 
request for proposals for PDG projects, but plans to support 
this initial effort to create projects in the field; 
 
--  Asia Pacific Democratic Partnership (APDP): as a founding 
member, Canada takes the APDP seriously and will continue to 
support it with funding and diplomatic effort.  Canada plans 
soon to respond to our most recent proposals, but believes 
that it would be best to conduct a "soft launch" in June 2008 
by sending out an observer mission to Mongolia, with a "hard 
launch" by November 2008, when APDP would send an observer 
mission for the U.S. elections; 
 
--  UN Democracy Fund: Canada does not so far support the 
UNDF because it has does not want to spread its efforts and 
funding too thin.  Canadian officials have nonetheless met 
with the head of the UNDF and are assessing whether it would 
Qwith the head of the UNDF and are assessing whether it would 
provide a niche to meet certain objectives; 
 
--  Bali Democracy Forum: Canada has not yet taken an 
official position on the Bali Forum, but considers some of 
its work complementary to Canadian objectives.  Canada 
remains concerned that the Bali Forum may be too 
geographically and functionally inclusive to be effective, 
but Canadian interests in Asia are likely too great not 
eventually to support such a noteworthy Asian organization; 
 
--  DFAIT is now contemplating the posting of regional 
democratization officers in some of its Embassies abroad as a 
way better to manage DFAIT-funded programs and conduct 
outreach. 
 
 
OTTAWA 00000593  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment:  Canada continues to struggle with how best 
to institutionalize its own approach to democratization 
abroad.  DFAIT officials have expressed admiration for the 
U.S. "Advance Democracy Act" and the large role it gives to 
the State Department to deliver democratization programs. 
Canada will continue to welcome exchanges with us on 
democratization, including contacts in Washington, Ottawa, 
and key posts in the field. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS