Journée internationale de la Francophonie

It was with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation of Mr. Don Boudria, Minister responsible for Francophonie, and Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier, President of the Canadian section of the Assemblée internationale des parlementaires de langue française (AIPLF), to speak to you on the occasion of the Journée internationale de la Francophonie.

At this point, I would like to greet the representatives of the Canadian section of the AIPLF, who in a few minutes will be presenting the decorations of the Ordre de la Pléiade, which I had the honour to receive a few years ago.

I also wish to send my greetings to the President of the AIPLF, Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier. He is an old friend and colleague of mine, who has unfortunately been kept at home by an illness he has been fighting, with his accustomed courage, for several months. Mr. Gauthier's vigorous leadership has much to do with the significant participation of the AIPLF in the undertakings of La Francophonie. I am thinking in particular of the many election observation missions in which Canadian parliamentarians participate and of the documentation program for parliamentarians of the countries of the South.

I also wish to thank the Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française, which has been in charge of organizing the Semaine nationale de la Francophonie. This week-long national event is designed to celebrate and highlight French language and culture in every region of Canada.

This French language and this French culture, which are shared by more than eight and a half million Canadians throughout the country, are the main reason for Canada's participation in La Francophonie from its beginnings.

La Francophonie is a natural sphere of influence for Canada. It is a multilateral forum, where Canada can fully play its role. It is also a focus for concerted action and dialogue on the problems that concern us and the values that we wish to share.

Under the impetus of the Summits, La Francophonie, whose vocation was traditionally cultural, has developed greatly over the last few years. Canada has become an ardent promoter of this development, seeing it as an opportunity to make La Francophonie more relevant, credible and effective. We know it is possible to make this international organization of Francophone communities an authentic multilateral instrument of collaboration, exchange and cooperation.

La Francophonie has become a tool for cooperation in highly technical fields. It has rapidly become a modern organization, using communications in the service of development.

In this field, the major achievements we think of are TV5, the international French-language television consortium, the audiovisual production of the countries of the South, community radio stations, distance education, scientific and technical information, and access to information highways. This progress has not been limited to the field of cooperation.

Another important development is increased emphasis on the political character of La Francophonie. If La Francophonie is to establish its authority, it must reinforce its capacity for political intervention and preventive diplomacy. In this context, we see prevention of conflicts as an important field of intervention. We are all aware of the very serious crises that have shaken Rwanda and Burundi, and of the one now raging in Zaire. These crises have underlined how important it is for La Francophonie to enhance its capacity for helping to resolve them, while bearing in mind the fundamental role and the initiatives of other multilateral organizations such as the UN and the OAU.

La Francophonie has evolved through successive summits, and will continue to do so at the Hanoi Summit next November. This 7th Summit will oversee the adoption of a new Charter of La Francophonie, which will redefine the structure of the organization, in particular by creating the position of Secretary General of La Francophonie, reflecting the desire to make La Francophonie more political. This new spokesperson, who will be elected by the heads of state and government themselves, will bring La Francophonie increased visibility and influence.

The economic aspect of development is important, and we should not be surprised that our Vietnamese partners, who will be hosting the next Summit, have proposed an economic theme: reinforcement of Francophone cooperation and solidarity for peace and for economic and social development.

We believe that we can follow our Vietnamese friends along this path, and that breakthroughs can be achieved. We will have to use our imagination to find, despite our modest means, an area of action that can generate an economic impact and sustainable development, while fostering the development of human resources. We shall, of course, give trade and technology transfers all the importance they deserve.

Dear friends of La Francophonie, I am sure you all remember that its Second Summit, in 1987, took place in Quebec City, and was a great success. Twelve years after the Quebec City Summit, we have decided to do it again. At the Hanoi Summit, we will again be candidates to host the 8th Summit in 1999, this time at Moncton, New Brunswick.

That summit, while confirming the important role Canada plays within the international Francophone community, will allow New Brunswick to raise its profile around the globe. Mr McKenna will no doubt be mobilizing the entire Acadian population, and given the great hospitality and love of festivity that characterize the Acadians, we should not be surprised if some of our visitors decided to stay in New Brunswick!

In conclusion, I would like you to know how very proud I am to participate in this Journée internationale de la Francophonie. As a French-speaking Canadian, and also as Prime Minister, I am delighted that Canada belongs to the great worldwide family of Francophones which, I am convinced, will become increasingly important in the virtual village that the modern world has become.

Thank you.