Report

The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), which participated in the meetings of the Committee on Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs, the Young Parliamentarians Network and the Network of Women Parliamentarians held in Papeete (French Polynesia) from 19 April 2022 to 22 April 2022, is honoured to present its report.

The delegation was led by Francis Drouin, M.P., Chair of the Canadian Branch of the APF. Marie‑France Lalonde, M.P., completed the delegation. They were accompanied by Dominique Montpetit, advisor to the Canadian Branch.

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS

Marie-France Lalonde, M.P., attended the meeting of the APF Committee on Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs. Ms. Lalonde presented the Canadian Branch’s draft report on the use and promotion of French in the francophone world, which includes approaches to address this issue from a historical, institutional and parliamentary perspective. Work on this topic will continue at future Committee meetings.

Committee members also exchanged views on several topics of interest to francophone parliaments, including:

· the challenges posed by social media;

· school perseverance and professional integration;

· violence against children in schools;

· culture and languages issues for Polynesian youth; and

· education during COVID-19.

During the discussion on education during the pandemic, Ms. Lalonde shared some of the Government of Canada’s recent education and parental support programs, including for education in both official languages, child care and access to information and digital technologies.

YOUNG PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK

Francis Drouin, M.P., and Chair of the Canadian Branch of the APF, attended the meeting of the APF’s Young Parliamentarians Network. Mr. Drouin presented the final draft of the Canadian Branch’s report on young people’s participation in parliamentary life. It was agreed that the Canadian Branch would present a draft resolution on this topic at the next meeting of the Young Parliamentarians Network, which is scheduled for July 2022.

As part of the meeting, the members of the Young Parliamentarians Network met with Yann Ching, CEO of Vini Vini, a shipowner and wholesale fish merchant, to discuss youth entrepreneurship and the importance of sustainable development. In addition, the members of the Young Parliamentarians Network met with experts on rahui, an ancestral Polynesian practice that helps protect the environment.

Lastly, the members of the Young Parliamentarians Network began work on developing a best practices guide for young parliamentarians to help them get the most out of political life. In particular, they discussed various obstacles faced by young parliamentarians and young people wishing to enter politics, such as work-life balance and issues related to election campaigns.

NETWORK OF WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS

Marie-France Lalonde, M.P., attended the meeting of the APF’s Network of Women Parliamentarians. Ms. Lalonde presented the final version of the Canadian Branch’s draft report on the economic empowerment of francophone women and said the Canadian Branch intended to table a draft resolution on this subject at the next meeting of the Network of Women Parliamentarians, which is scheduled for July 2022. Ms. Lalonde also presented two options for a future report by the Canadian Branch: after discussion with Network members, the topic of access to menstrual products for francophone women and girls was selected. The work plan for this project will be approved at the next meeting of the Network of Women Parliamentarians in July 2022.

In addition to these two subjects, parliamentarians discussed the efforts of the Working Group on the Policy to Prevent and Address Harassment in the APF, the role of women in extractive industries and peace and reconstruction missions, as well as the impacts of climate change on women and girls.

Lastly, members of the Network of Women Parliamentarians spoke with representatives of the Women’s Council of French Polynesia about the educational drop-in centre for women and the Te pu o te hau project to create an emergency shelter for Polynesian women who are victims of intimate partner violence.

CONCLUSION

After two years of virtual meetings, these meetings of three APF bodies mark the resumption of in‑person activities. Through its participation, the Canadian Branch actively contributed to the work of the Committee on Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs, the Young Parliamentarians Network and the Network of Women Parliamentarians. Canadian delegates presented draft reports on issues common to all francophones, which helped to spur dialogue with branch delegates from the four APF regions (Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe).

Thanks to the rich discussions during these three meetings, as well as the exchanges between parliamentarians outside the working sessions, the Canadian Branch was able to achieve its objectives of promoting the French language and encouraging the study of cultural, economic and social issues of common interest in order to foster co-operation among APF parliamentarians.

Respectfully submitted,


Francis Drouin, M.P.
Chair of the Canadian Branch of theAssemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie