On the Occasion of the Opening Ceremony of the VIIIth Summit of La Francophonie

Today, I want to pay tribute to the descendants of those Acadians and thank the entire population of Moncton and New Brunswick for their cooperation in organizing this eighth Summit.

Wherever they may live, Canada's Francophones share a common hope with all the peoples represented at this Summit: that the language we share may bring us closer together and grow stronger as a tool for development. The new generation of Canadians, in particular, is teaching us that language must not stand as a barrier but rather serve as a bridge between individuals and communities, and also between cultures.

In evoking the history of Canada, I have no doubt reminded you that ours is a young country. That is true. But that also makes it a land of virtually boundless possibility. A land where people can still dream.

La Francophonie is a young organization too. So there can be no better place than Canada and no better forum than this Summit at which to focus on youth, on the opportunities open to young people and the hopes they cherish for the future.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our Secretary General, who has devoted tremendous energy and displayed remarkable effectiveness in preparing this Summit and bringing youth representatives from around the world to Moncton.

On behalf of all the participants in this Summit, I also want to salute the young people who are here with us today. For I hope and believe that the contribution young people can make to the development of La Francophonie will help endow this organization with the vigour and relevance that are prerequisites for its success.

As this century draws to a close, we celebrate the great achievements of humankind and look forward to a bright future for our youth. But it must also be said that humanity has not vanquished poverty. Entire populations still live in a state of privation. This must inspire in us a new determination to promote economic co-operation and development assistance.

We must also pursue our efforts to relieve the debt burden that weighs on many of our countries. And we applaud the G-8's Cologne Initiative on this front.

We know that peace and security are indispensable to sustainable development and co-operation. That democracy, respect for human rights, basic freedoms, the rule of law, and good governance are the foundations upon which strong and peaceful societies are built. Societies that the very youth who are our focus at this Summit will inherit.

Let us all work to ensure that the legacy we leave to future generations is a Francophonie made up of countries where democratic values are embraced. A Francophonie made up of countries where human rights and the rule of law are well entrenched principles – which is not now always the case – and where universally recognized international practices are respected in this regard.

This responsibility should constitute the core of our political mission here in Moncton, and in the future, as this organization grows and matures.

Our work and our discussions are also taking place within the context of economic globalization. A process which holds great promise but is also laden with risks, of which we tend to say less.

Among them, we must be especially concerned with the danger of exclusion. Exclusion of countries that possess neither the resources nor the tools to participate in the intercontinental networks that are taking shape. And the exclusion of people who do not have access to the basic training they need to realize their potential in a knowledge-based global economy.

Globalization has also brought about the near-universal use of English in communication technologies. Technologies which are themselves bolstering the power of English and posing a new challenge to the French language, along with hundreds of other languages.

As Heads of State and Government, we must work to make La Francophonie still more dynamic and effective, particularly, as I have already noted, through the contribution of young people.

I am very pleased to see that our family is growing, with the participation at this Summit of Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. On behalf of all participating countries and observers, I extend a warm welcome to them.

The presence of these friends, and of all the others who have joined us over the past 13 years, reminds us that La Francophonie was born and continues to grow in cultural diversity. As national identities meet and mingle, we must promote intercultural dialogue more than ever before. For cultural diversity is one of the great assets of La Francophonie and of the international community as a whole.

I would also like to express the hope, at this early point in the Summit, that as a result of our discussions here, the next ministerial meeting of La Francophonie will be devoted to issues of cultural diversity. And that we will develop our internal cohesion on this issue.

In conclusion, I want to express the wish that this last Sommet de la Francophonie of the 20th century -- the last one of the millennium if we look at the big picture -- will help give the youth of the world what they most need: hope.

Hope that development, security and peace will soon embrace our whole planet.