VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHOT #0752 1581422
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061422Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7962
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAEPA/EPA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000752 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EEB/TPP/MTA ASCHEIBE AND WHA/CAN 
STATE PASS USTR FOR JDOHERTY 
EPA FOR MMCKIEL 
DOC FOR HHIJIKATA AND JSTRADTMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD WTRO ECON CA
SUBJECT: CANADA'S RESPONSE TO ISO SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 
DRAFT STANDARD 
 
REF: STATE 55239 
 
¶1.  Econoff delivered reftel information regarding USG 
concerns on ISO Social Responsibility Draft Standard to 
Yolanda Banks, Senior Advisor for Corporate Social 
Responsibility and Public Affairs at Export Development 
Canada; Georgina Wainwright-Kemdirim, Senior Policy Analyst 
for Strategic Policy at Industry Canada; and Carlos 
Rojas-Arbulu, Deputy Director and Senior Advisor for 
Corporate Social Responsibility at the Department of Foreign 
Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).  Banks is the 
Canadian representative to the ISO and will attend the next 
Working Group meeting in Santiago, Chile.  She stated she 
shares U.S. concerns about the effect of ISO 26000 on 
technical barriers to trade (TBT) and human rights issues, 
but is not convinced that they are problematic.  Banks asked 
if the U.S. could provide an example of voluntary standards 
that have become TBT.  Wainwright-Kemdirim said the GOC will 
consider increasing Canadian representation at the September 
Working Group. 
 
¶2.  We request that the Department provide us with the 
examples of voluntary standards that are technical barriers 
to trade which we can pass to the Canadians. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
BREESE