Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (CAPF)

For more information, see report:Report of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie

3:30 p.m.

To be eligible to vote at the AGM the deadline for membership for this association is 7 days before the meeting.

The Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie brings together 90 parliaments and branches to discuss topics of interest for the Francophonie. The meeting is informal and is intended to inform the presidents of various topics of interest for the branches.

Marie-France Lalonde, member, and Joël Godin, member and chair of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee, attended the meeting virtually.

Members were informed of the decisions made at the Libreville Bureau meeting held on February 27 and 28. They were also informed of the climate emergency in Madagascar caused by cyclone Batsirai. A second cyclone, Emnati, is expected to touch down soon. A call for solidarity was also made. A call for nominations was also made for the 47th Session and the 9th Francophone Youth Parliament of July 2022.

The members discussed the young Francophone ambassadors’ project, and Marie-France Lalonde called for more clarification between this program and the Francophone Youth Parliament. Joël Godin requested that more detailed planning be done for that project and for a presentation on it at the next Bureau.

The Administrative Secretary General, Damien Cesselin, discussed the consideration of branch contributions to the upcoming APF strategic framework 2023–2026. Methodology will be developed to enable branches to actively participate in the next framework. Joël Godin and Marie-France Lalonde reiterated the Canadian branch’s desire for better defined, measurable objectives and for the latest objective attainment indicators also be included in the development of the new strategic framework.

Mention was also made of a project shared by various APF branches and the Francophone Group of Ambassadors.

The Honourable Dennis Dawson, Senator, attended the meeting of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Missions of the Political Committee of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie held on 17 February 2022 via videoconference. The purpose of this working group is to oversee the United Nations peacekeeping missions report.

The Rapporteur of the working group went over his discussions with the Boutros-Ghali Peacekeeping Observatory, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Ministry for the Armed Forces. He gave an overview of the many peacekeeping missions around the world, several of them in francophone regions.

Senator Dawson suggested that the working group invite Canadian security and peacekeeping experts to share their observations. He raised the use of French in such operations under the authority of the United Nations. On this issue, the Rapporteur pointed to the work of the Boutros-Ghali Observatory and the recently arranged meetings with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

Senator Dawson also said that this ties into the broader issue of respect for multilingualism within international organizations, which is being studied by the Political Committee and the Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs Committee. He concluded by stressing the importance of raising awareness of this issue among all partners and member branches.

APF Bureau meeting – January 27 to 28, 2022

The Bureau monitors the implementation of decisions made by the Plenary Assembly of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), for which it exercises delegated authority. It ensures the implementation of the motions passed, the resolutions adopted and the opinions and recommendations issued by the Plenary Assembly. In this respect, it may make any decision it deems useful. It reviews, pursuant to the General Secretariat’s report, issues relating to the admission of sections and to changes in their status. It passes the Assembly’s budget.

Francis Drouin, M.P., Chair of the Canadian Branch and First Vice President of the APF, and Marie France Lalonde and Senator Éric Forest, members of the CAPF executive committee, participated virtually in the hybrid meeting held in Libreville, Gabon.

The APF Bureau heard from Geoffroy Montpetit from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. He discussed the OIF APF partnership and opportunities for cooperation between the two institutions. A number of activity reports were presented, including the activity report of the APF Parliamentary Secretary General. The APF’s cooperation programs were also reviewed. The Treasurer’s report on the draft budget for 2022 was considered, in addition to a review of the political situation in the francophone world and various institutional projects.

The members in attendance also heard the activity reports from the presidents of the APF’s commissions and networks and from its mission leaders.