Notes for an Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien at the Inauguration of the
30th General Assembly of the
Organization of American States
June 4, 2000
Windsor, Ontario
Mr. Secretary General.
Excellencies.
Ladies and gentlemen.
I am delighted to welcome La Gran Familia of the Americas to Windsor and to
Canada. For the 30th General Assembly of the Organization of American
States.
The people of Windsor are pleased and proud to be your hosts. They are eager
to show off their home to you. And have spared no effort to make you feel at
home. On behalf of all Canadians, I want to thank them for being such great
ambassadors for our country.
And I want to pay a special tribute to two of our finest public servants. Our
Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Herb Gray. His love of Windsor and his
commitment to her people have been unwavering. And your Chair, the Honourable
Lloyd Axworthy, a man who has also served his country with honour and
distinction for many years.
We meet at the first General Assembly of the 21st century.
Together, we stand at a cross road in time. On the crest of an extraordinary
period of change and opportunity.
In recent years, we have seen an explosion of new technology. Breaking down
old constraints of time and distance. Sweeping away traditional economic
structures and assumptions. Creating a new economy, in which knowledge,
innovation and creativity are the keys to prosperity. We have seen the collapse
of out-dated ideologies. And the rapid development of a truly global economy and
a global village.
Our common challenge as nations, here in the Americas and beyond, is to
capture the potential of these transformations and give it a human face. To pool
our wisdom toward ensuring that this explosion in the quantity of technology and
information has -- as its foremost objective -- improving the quality of life of
people.
This is a tall order. One that will require a sense of common purpose. A
foundation of shared values. And conviction that each of us, as nations, has a
stake in the success and well-being of the other. When I use the term " La
Gran Familia" to express my vision of the Americas, it is precisely with
this in mind.
And as I reflect on the 10 years since Canada joined the OAS, I am filled
with confidence that our hemispheric neighbourhood is becoming a hemispheric
family.
In the past decade, we have seen the consolidation of democracy and the
growth of free markets. Together, we have embraced shared values and common
goals. Strengthening democracy. Protecting human rights. Enhancing human
security. And, above all, giving all of our peoples the chance to realize their
full potential.
The OAS has played a key role in fostering shared values across the Americas.
It has done important work in the promotion of democratic institutions, human
rights and technical cooperation. And in ensuring that it is people who remain
at the centre of our hemispheric agenda. I know this will be an important part
of your discussions over the coming two days.
I have just come from a major conference in Berlin. "Progressive
Governance for the 21st Century." The strong representation of
our hemisphere -- presidents Clinton. De la Rua. Lagos. Cardoso and myself --
says a lot about how La Gran Familia is regarded in the world.
As friends and partners, we showcased our common will to make the needs of
our people the primary object of our work together. And this unshakable
commitment will be at centre stage next spring in Québec City, when I will
welcome you to the first Summit of the Americas of the new century.
Previous Summits in Miami and Santiago have set a high standard and mapped
out an ambitious agenda. We have much to do to get ready. The discussions that
Foreign Ministers are having here will make a substantial contribution to the
process of developing priorities. With your continued engagement and guidance, I
know that the Canadian Summit will mark yet another historic milestone on the
road to making the Americas more free, more secure and more prosperous.
For Canada...the idea of La Gran Familia is about shared prosperity and
well-being. Poverty has always been a powerful enemy of freedom. Hungry stomachs
and despair make fertile ground for the forces of reaction. A growing economy,
good jobs and the promise of new opportunity are the pillars of a secure society
-- and a secure hemisphere.
That is why Canada is a champion of the Free Trade Area of the Americas.
Launching these negotiations at Santiago was a bold step. An expression of our
faith in the dynamism, talent and energy of our people. A vote of confidence in
ourselves.
Enhanced trade and investment flows are the engines of economic growth and
prosperity. And Canada is living proof. We have always been a trading nation. We
developed quickly because we opened ourselves to trade and investment from
around the world. And we achieved one of the highest standards of living in the
world. With prosperity as our foundation, we have made key social investments
that have broadened opportunity and enhanced our quality of life. We have
enjoyed the benefits of more open trade, and we want to see them shared by all.
As a Canadian, as the leader of a nation that derives over forty percent of
its GDP from international trade, I understand how vital it is to keep markets
open. And how much that depends on trade and investment regimes that are fair
and transparent.
That is why NAFTA is about much more than reduced tariffs. It is about
dispute settlement, national treatment, procurement codes, transparency, and
impartiality. It is, in short, about creating a rules-based system for traders
and investors. So that we can build new prosperity, create more jobs and enhance
the quality of life of our people.
That is why we also concluded a free trade agreement with Chile. And that is
why we believe that we must press ahead with an FTAA that can produce benefits
for all nations of the hemisphere -- big and small. I hope, and expect, that by
2005 we can have such an agreement.
For Canada, La Gran Familia means more than trade and commerce. It also means
encouraging full and equal participation by all our citizens in the economic and
political life of our countries. I am not suggesting that we should be guided by
simple idealism. Our motivation and our objectives must be practical. They must
produce concrete benefits for our people.
The OAS knows that it must become more inclusive. That providing space for
reasoned debate leads to greater understanding, constructive dialogue and
cooperative endeavours with civil society. That is why I am pleased that at this
General Assembly, more civil society organizations than ever before are
expressing their views. This should serve as our guide for the future.
And we should carry this effort beyond institutional dialogue. For democracy
to take deeper root, all citizens must be heard. Our actions should empower
groups whose voices have, too often, not been heard.
It is only by engaging all of our citizens, by ensuring that their voices are
heard, that we will gain the confidence we need to achieve our goals. Only by
debating openly will we convince the doubters and galvanize our nations behind
us as we move ahead.
Ladies and gentlemen, for Canada, La Gran Familia is also about connecting
people through cyberspace. Because the advantages of connectivity go beyond
E-Commerce. They encompass education and health, in fact, every sphere of human
endeavour. Connectivity can contribute directly to making the lives of our
people better. And that is what the focus of our polices should be.
Governments have a pivotal role to play in how these new technologies are
developed and shared. In ensuring that their ability to span great distances,
expand access to knowledge and increase economic productivity is put to the
service of all our people.
I believe that the governments of the Americas, in partnership with the
private sector, civil society, international financial institutions, and
regional and international organizations must work together in this area. As
leaders of our societies, we have a special responsibility to make sure that
entire populations are not left behind by the technological revolution. Our job
is to ensure that the emerging technologies build bridges, not widen the gaps
that already exist.
I am confident that by working together, with patience and perseverance, we
will better connect all of our nations and all of our citizens to each other.
And that, in the end, is our shared goal. To inspire in our people a true
feeling of belonging to a Gran Familia -- from Baffin Island to Tierra del Fuego.
One that respects our differences. A community of the Americas made up of people
who can express their identity while still communicating with ease - as
neighbours, as friends, and as members of the same family.
This is a challenge that will certainly be at the centre of our discussions
next April.
Hasta pronto en Québec.
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