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C-17: CONVENTION ON THE INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURE

        ADOPTED AT: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES                            

              DATE: 03/06/79

CONF/ASSEM/MEETING: GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES 

  ENTRY INTO FORCE: 12/08/79,  IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 34 OF THE CONVENTION 

        DEPOSITORY: OAS GENERAL SECRETARIAT (ORIGINAL INSTRUMENT AND           
                    RATIFICATIONS)                                             

              TEXT: OAS, TREATY SERIES, NO. 48                                 
                            ,           ,
   UN REGISTRATION: 02/17/81  No. 19557   Vol.      

      OBSERVATIONS:     This Convention shall remain open for signature by the 
                    Member States of the Organization of American States or of 
                    the Inter-American Institute of Agricultural Sciences.  Any
                    other American State may accede to it as provided in Article
                    5, subparagraph b) of this Convention.                     

               GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE TREATY: C-17

*DECLARATIONS/RESERVATIONS/DENUNCIATIONS/WITHDRAWLS

1.-CANADA                          
                                                                             
Note: (IN EFFECT ONE YEAR AFTER DE DATE OF NOTIFICATION -                    
DECEMBER 24, 1998)                                                           
DATE: 12-24-97                                                               
                                                                             
                                                                             
Ministre des Affaires étrangŠres                                             
Minister of Foreign Affairs                                                  
Ottawa, Canada K1A OG2                                                       
                                                                             
His Excellency Cesar Gaviria Trujillo                                        
Secretary General of the Organization of American States                     
17th and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Room 20 Washington, D.C.                  
20006                                                                        
                                                                             
Excellency:                                                                  
                                                                             
           During the past three years, the Canadian government has          
been forced to take drastic measures in order to rectify an                  
extremely serious economic situation, characterized by growing               
budget deficits and burgeoning public debt. This has entailed                
severe cuts in domestic government programs which have demanded              
significant sacrifices by all Canadians. The spending cuts also              
affected government commitments at the international level,                  
where the imperative of allocating increasingly scarce                       
resources to growing international obligations made some tough               
choices unavoidable. These entailed a review of our membership               
in all international organizations. We had to take difficult                 
decisions to terminate funding to a number of organizations                  
both in and outside of the hemisphere, including, I regret, the              
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.                     
                                                                             
           In Canada's case, a cessation of funding dictates                 
termination of membership. A fundamental principle of our                    
foreign policy is that Canadian participation in the                         
multilateral system entails obligations as well as benefits. If              
Canada is not able any longer to fulfill its financial                       
obligations to any international organization, then we prefer                
to withdraw, rather than become a neglectful or delinquent                   
member.                                                                      
                                                                             
           Our intention to terminate membership in the Institute was        
communicated to its Director General, Dr. Carlos Aquino                      
Gonzalez, in early October, 1996. We emphasized to Dr. Aquino                
that termination of Canadian membership should not be                        
interpreted as a sign of dissatisfaction with his leadership.                
On the contrary, Canada has witnessed with approval the                      
significant reforms  which the Institute has undergone since                 
Dr. Aquino took office, in 1994, and was pleased to support his              
re-election as Director General early this year. At that time,               
we also advised Dr. Aquino of our intention to remain a full                 
member of IICA until December 31, 1998, in order to give the                 
Institute a prudent amount of time to adjust to this new                     
reality.                                                                     
                                                                             
           Consequently, and as prescribed by Article 36 of the              
Convention on the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on                
Agriculture, please consider this letter as official notice by               
Canada of denunciation of that Convention, to become effective               
one year after the date of its delivery to the General                       
Secretariat of the Organization of American States.                          
                                                                             
           Our withdrawal from IICA in no way signifies a lessening          
of our commitment to multilateralism in the hemisphere, as                   
evidenced by Canada's active role in and support for the                     
Organization of American States, as well as our continuing                   
engagement in the Summit of the Americas process.                            
Sincerely,                                                                   
Lloyd Axworthy                                                               
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                                             
Minister of Foreign Affairs                                                  
                                                                             
September 11, 1998                                                           
                                                                             
His Excellency Cesar Gaviria Trujillo                                        
Secretary General                                                            
Organization of American States                                              
17th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.                                    
Room 20 Washington, D.C. 20006 U.S.A.                                        
                                                                             
                                                                             
Excellency:                                                                  
                                                                             
In a letter dated December 24, 1997, I informed you that as                  
part of an effort to rectify a serious fiscal situation and                  
pursuant to a review of its memberships in all international                 
organizations, Canada had been obliged to take the difficult                 
decision to terminate its funding to the Inter-American                      
Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). As you know,                
this cessation of funding dictated a termination of membership               
and in my letter I gave official notice that Canada was                      
denouncing the Convention on IICA, as prescribed by Article 36,              
and would remain a member only until December 31, 1998.                      
                                                                             
In the months since the announcement of our withdrawal, the                  
Government of Canada has received numerous representations from              
fellow members of the Organization of American States                        
requesting that it re-visit the decision. These representations              
made it clear that Canada's absence from IICA, along with the                
loss of its financial contribution, would have an important                  
negative impact in the area of agricultural cooperation                      
throughout the hemisphere, especially on nations having small                
economies. It was also noted that, since joining IICA in 1972,               
Canada has become an important provider of technical assistance              
in agriculture.                                                              
                                                                             
Canada has been impressed by the substance of these arguments.               
In consequence, I am pleased to be able to inform you that                   
Canada has favourablyre-considered the issue of its withdrawal               
from IICA. This letter will serve as official notice of the                  
revision of our earlier decision to denounce the Convention on               
IICA and as confirmation of our intention to maintain full                   
membership in the organization. This decision has already been               
informally communicated to the Director General of IICA, Dr.                 
Carlos Aquino Gonzalez, by the Canadian Ambassador to Costa                  
Rica, Mr. Daniel Goodleaf.                                                   
                                                                             
Canada remains firmly committed to reform and renewal of the                 
inter-American system and, in the months since the announcement              
of our intention to withdraw, we have been pleased to note that              
the process of reform initiated by Dr. Aquino since taking                   
office in 1994 has continued. With the decision to maintain our              
membership, Canada looks forward to working closely with Dr.                 
Aquino to ensure that the organization continues to adapt to                 
meet the challenges of providing effective and efficient                     
assistance to agricultural producers and processors throughout               
the hemisphere in the years ahead.                                           
                                                                             
Sincerely,                                                                   
                                                                             
Lloyd Axworthy

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