Official Opening of the 7th Summit of La Francophonie

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the government and people of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for their warm welcome. I would also like to acknowledge the enormous effort our hosts have put into preparing the Summit. This augurs well for the success of our discussions, and we are very grateful to them.

Wherever it is present in the world, the Francophonie manifests its own unique values. Values that are nourished and enriched by the unique contributions of all its partners. In Hanoi, we have heard from our Vietnamese hosts their desire to accentuate the economic aspects of our deliberations. We support their initiative.

Asia has known period of strong economic growth, in which Vietnam has played an active role. There is no doubt that we can draw important lessons from these experiences, as individual nations and as a community. The well-being and prosperity of our countries, the strengthening of democracy, and the ability of the Francophonie to retain its influence in the world are inseparable from the achievement of sustained economic development.

I invite you all to join me in reflecting on the triple symbolism of our decision to meet here, on Asian soil:

It symbolizes, first, the confirmation-if any was needed-of both the universal nature of our community and its universal potential.

It symbolizes, second, our attachment to the French language and our desire to use it to bring us closer together, regardless of the continent in which we live.

Finally, it symbolizes not only of the common respect we have for one another's differences, but also the extent to which this diversity is source of richness for all of us.

Our gathering here in Hanoi, marks an important milestone in the development of the Francophonie and our Summits, which first saw the light of day in Versailles a mere 12 years ago. For it is here that we will give full effect to the "Charte de la Francophonie."

When we met the last time in Cotonou, we expressed our desire to make the Francophonie more dynamic, to further strengthen it as a vehicle for dialogue and cooperation. We especially wanted to promote the Francophonie on the political level in order to raise its visibility and make it more credible and effective.

This has been a Canadian wish for some time.

Here in Hanoi, we will elect the first secretary-general of the whole Francophonie, who will act as both our political spokesperson as well as the overall coordinator of multilateral Francophone cooperation.

We will also augment the political dimension of the Francophonie by expanding its mandate to include conflict prevention, arbitration, and negotiation, while, at the same time, continuing to encourage its traditional work in promoting the rule of law.

Lastly, in addition to strengthening its political dimension, we will bring the Francophonie into the modern era by increasing our focus on information highways and economic development.

We have talked at length about the political dimension of the Francophonie. But how can it be translated into fact? Our changing world needs the help and solidarity of friends. The United Nations cannot do everything. We know this. Since 1989, there have been 101 armed conflicts in the world, over 90 per cent of which were internal. In this area of globalization, there is a place, for groups like ours, which are more sensitive to preserving identities, are closer to the players and decision-makers, and more disposed to compromise. I have just returned from a meeting of the Commonwealth, where I sensed the same concerns and the same expectations.

This is the spirit in which we should address the difficulties that sometimes buffet our Community. The situation in Africa's "Great Lakes" region is of great concern in this regard. Our Action Plan suggests, quite rightly, that we should participate in reconciliation efforts under the aegis of the UN and the Organization for African Unity (OAU). And what should we do about situations that pose a threat to certain democratic achievements? The Francophonie should get involved, frankly and generously.

Conflict prevention and peace-building should be rooted in strengthening democracy and respect for human rights. It is essential to protect the most vulnerable groups by rapid adoption of an International Labour Organization convention that aims at eliminating the terrible abuse of child labour.

Another intolerable tragedy is anti-personnel land mines, whose devastating effects, apart from their humanitarian dimension, inhibit efforts at reconstruction and development. You are familiar with Canada's commitment to this process, and for our part, we know that we can count on our partners in the Francophonie to bring it to a successful conclusion.

In less than three weeks, representatives from more than a hundred countries to will come to Ottawa to sign a treaty banning forever the use of these instruments of death.

I am encouraged by the fact that continued efforts in recent weeks have paid off, and have enabled me to convince a few more countries to sign on to the treaty. But others still need to be convinced, and I intend to do everything in my power to bring them onside between now and the treaty's signing. I ask for your help in achieving this goal.

Global climatic change is another issue on which we should focus, since it has dramatic impact on all of us. Indeed, many of us are fighting desertification, while others are threatened by the rise in ocean levels.

In three weeks' time, more than 150 countries will meet in Kyoto, Japan, to formulate a global strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Success is not certain, since major divisions remain within the international community. There must be a global solution to this global menace. No solution to the problem of global warming will be possible without the full and complete participation of all countries.

Canada believes that the elements of a solution exist, which the countries of the Francophonie can support. We strongly favour establishment of a greenhouse gas emission sharing regime, whose implementation would be the responsibility of all members of the international community -- the developed and the developing.

Under this regime, the participants could exchange emission credits up to a permitted maximum for all countries. This would promote environmental technology transfers and give every country an opportunity to benefit from its own reductions. I encourage the countries of the Francophonie to give this option serious consideration. By considering feasible and flexible methods, we will find a solution.

All of our debates about the Francophonie's political dimension will lead us to a discussion about the mandate we want to confer on our new secretary-general. It must be a strong, clear mandate. It must encourage the continuation and reinforcement of the activities undertaken at various levels - first and foremost at the Agence de la Francophonie - to strengthen the rule of law. Apart from co- operation, the secretary-general's status as political spokesperson of the Francophonie will confer the moral authority needed to assert his or herself as a valid partner in discussions. One notch higher is the secretary-general's mandate to develop political initiatives which contribute to the peaceful settlement of ongoing conflicts.

It is clear that we must ensure that our new spokesperson does not find him or herself at odds with the real desires of our countries; otherwise, his or her personal credibility will suffer and, together with it, the credibility of our movement.

Our Vietnamese partners wanted this Seventh Summit to deal with the economy. We share this concern and will help them make it a reality. There must be a credible economic focus to go hand in hand with the new political dimension of our Summits.

That said, the Francophonie has already accomplished a great deal on the economic front. Its education and training programs and its distribution of databases and information exchange systems are powerful factors in promoting economic development.

Inevitably, there are global macro-economic issues over which none of us has full control. Nevertheless, openness to the world economy and further integration into it bear the promise of greater prosperity. That is another reason to strengthen the institutions created for this purpose.

The Francophonie must speak loud and clear about these economic issues. Already the G7 has heard the message. The purpose of the partnership for development in Africa is not only to facilitate the integration of African countries into the world economy, but also to integrate the most disadvantaged people into the economic, social and political life of their countries.

Insofar as trade is concerned, African countries are the main beneficiaries of World Trade Organization's efforts to ensure predictable, favourable market access for developing nations.

Development depends as well on the establishment of sound policies, stable legal systems and on investments in human resources. In these areas, the Francophonie has a considerable comparative advantage thanks to its tradition of training, information sharing and consensus building.

We should understand that although the Francophonie is becoming more political, cooperation will always remain its primary foundation, and one of its main purposes. Our activities should continue to be guided by the five main points of cooperation that were laid out at Cotonou.

These ground-breaking programs are the outcome of a process of cooperation and reflection that has gone on for 25 years. I hope that tomorrow we will be able to approve the broad outlines of the program for the Hanoi Summit. Canada, for its part, will not hesitate to do so.

I would like to highlight here the quality of the programs submitted to us by the Agence de la Francophonie and pay tribute to the man who has presided over it for more than eight years. On the eve of his departure, Jean-Louis Roy deserves our thanks and gratitude for having translated Francophone solidarity into relevant, modern, vigorous, and effective action. BRAVO!

Under the heading of co-operation, the Canadian projects developed for the biennial summit in Hanoi strike a balance between continuity and innovation, with three major focal points. First, we wish to carry on and strengthen certain projects established in Cotonou, especially those aimed at reinforcing the rule of law, promoting human rights, and preventing conflict.

Second, we wish to implement the Montreal Action Plan from the ministerial conference on information highways, in which Canada's credibility is initiator and host is at stake. We also want to bring the Francophonie into the modern era by taking advantage of this essential tool for training, information and development.

Finally, we intend to launch initiatives in keeping with the focus on economic development within the the Francophonie and consistent with its resources.

I understand that the meaning and scope of the commitments made at Summits have recently become an object of some internal debate. We would like to reiterate that the announcements made during our meetings are solemn, irreversible commitments. Our operations people have to be able to count on predictable, assured funding. Our statutory levies must be paid in full, on time and unconditionally. This is hardly a new policy for Canada, which has been preaching the same thing at the United Nations for a number of years.

In conclusion, Mr. President, I would like to remind you of another important decision that we will have to make, namely where to hold our next Summit. Twelve years after the Quebec Summit, I think that it is "America's turn" once again. Canada will welcome you to New Brunswick, where the vitality, solidarity and trade mark hospitality of Acadians awaits you.