March 27, 2001

Now, more than ever before, Canada’s future is linked with that of the Americas. Our prosperity and our security depend in large part on the democratic and economic stability of our neighbours in the hemisphere.

In this spirit, Canada has been committed for over 10 years to the process of bringing the countries in the hemisphere closer together. The Summit of the Americas in Quebec City is a new phase – the most important so far – in that process.

Canada has prepared an agenda which reflects the concerns and interests of all Canadians. Thus, the 34 participating countries will discuss the means we have at our disposal to strengthen democracy, create prosperity, and realize human potential throughout the hemisphere.

• Strengthening democracy: Closer integration in the Americas must go hand in hand with strengthening democratic processes and institutions and enhancing their credibility. This will involve promoting human rights and basic freedoms, justice, security of citizens and hemispheric security.
• Creating prosperity: The focus will be on ways to distribute wealth more fairly within the Americas. This will involve trade and investment, economic and financial stability, the environment, labour, prevention of natural disasters and equitable growth. The Free Trade Area of the Americas is at the core of this process, as it is the key to greater prosperity and a better quality of life for all citizens in the hemisphere.
• Realizing human potential: In the Americas and elsewhere, progress hinges on our most precious resource, citizens. They must therefore be provided with the means necessary for their prosperity and their success, socially, economically and politically. In this regard, health, education and training are key priorities, as are cultural diversity, gender equality, Aboriginal peoples and youth.

Moreover, the information revolution has created disparities within the Americas that we must try to alleviate as quicky as possible by promoting connectivity, using information and communications technologies, both traditional (television, radio, telephone) and digital.

We believe that a genuine commitment to development can and must include not only efforts to meet basic needs, but also an action plan enabling everyone to participate in the knowledge economy.

When possible, we need to integrate information and communications technologies into all hemispheric initiatives. Canada’s objective is to ensure a fairer distribution of opportunities through connectivity, and to make it an engine of economic, social and political development in all countries in the hemisphere.