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MINISTER DION HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THE FORUM OF FEDERATIONS WILL
PLAY IN PROMOTING GOOD GOVERNANCE INTERNATIONALLY
ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND, November 6, 1999
– The Honourable Stéphane Dion, President of the Privy Council and Minister
of Intergovernmental Affairs, said today that by helping federations to learn
from one another, the newly created Forum of Federations will help to promote
good governance, the expansion of democracy, the strengthening of civil society,
and harmony between populations of different languages and cultures throughout
the world. The Minister was speaking to an audience of some 250 diplomats,
politicians and businesspeople gathered in St. John's for the 1999 Atlantic
Canada Diplomatic Forum.
The Minister noted that the Forum of Federations
was created in the wake of the International Conference on Federalism held in
Mont-Tremblant, which brought together some 500 participants from 27 countries,
including 20 federations: "The interest that the Conference sparked among
its participants, combined with the quality of the discussions, have created a
momentum to pursue this experience."
Mr. Dion stated that federalism is an important
phenomenon in the world, as there are currently 24 federations which include
about 40% of the world's population. He added that we can expect the federal
system to have a promising future in the world because: "The advance and
enhancement of democracy favour the expression of varied needs of populations
within states. [...] Federalism is one way to address these needs that has
proven itself in a large number of contexts." He also noted that
"democratization has had the effect (...) of consolidating the federal
reality within each country that adopts this system, [...] leading federations
to be genuine federations, not just on paper but also in reality."
The project is already well under way, the
Minister stated. The Forum is set to become a permanent international
organization, which will help enhance the practice of federalism, among other
things by establishing an information and resource centre, promoting the
exchange of best practices, and helping young people to develop professional
expertise in the field of federalism. It will be led by an independent board
composed of members of governments and other practitioners and experts from
different federations. The Honourable Bob Rae, former Premier of Ontario, will
continue to play a key role in implementing the objectives of the Forum. "I
am sure that even countries that are not federations will follow with interest
and benefit from the work of the Forum," added Mr. Dion.
The Minister stated that the Government of
Canada's contribution to the creation of the Forum of Federations is in keeping
with its tradition of supporting democratic development and good governance. He
added that the success of this initiative hinges on participation by
practitioners of federalism in different federations. International interest is
already very real: Switzerland wants to host the next conference. Delegates from
Brazil and Nigeria present at the Forum, as well as the German international
development agency, have expressed their interest in working with the Forum to
carry on projects on federalism.
Mr. Dion expressed his conviction that a better
understanding of other federations would enable Canada to become a better
country, which could only make Canadians want to stay together. He added that he
believes that the Canadian federation is making an important contribution to the
cause of federalism in the world. "A number of countries currently
experiencing ethnic tensions are contemplating adopting a federal system or some
elements of federalism. [...] It is up to federations like Canada to set a good
example, an example of national unity that brings together different populations
who cooperate in an atmosphere of trust, within a single state," the
Minister added.
"Federations, because they share the same
ideal of peace and harmony, have an interest in better understanding and
learning from one another," Mr. Dion concluded.
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For information:
André Lamarre
Special Assistant
(613) 943-1838
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