The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian
Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) that
attended the APF Bureau meeting in Rabat, Morocco, from February 5 to 7,
2014, has the honour to present its report.
The members of the Canadian Branch delegation were
the Hon. Andrée Champagne, P.C., Senator and Chair of the
Canadian Branch, and Mr. Robert Aubin, MP and Chair of the
APF’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee. The delegation was accompanied by
François Michaud, Association Secretary.
In addition to the Canadian Branch, the following
branches also participated in the work: Belgium/Francophone
Community/Wallonia-Brussels, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Jura,
Laos, Luxembourg, Morocco, Niger, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Switzerland, Chad and Vietnam.
Bureau Business
Mr. Karim Ghellab, President of
Morocco’s House of Representatives, welcomed the participants. In his keynote
address, he mentioned the strong ties that exist between Morocco and the APF,
and stressed that his country is the hub between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
The Hon. Andrée Champagne, chairing her
first Bureau meeting as International President, opened the session.
The agenda and the minutes of the meeting held in
Abidjan on July 8, 2013, were adopted.
Address by the OIF Administrator
The Hon. Andrée Champagne welcomed Mr. Clément
Duhaime, Administrator of the Organisation internationale de la
Francophonie (OIF), and thanked him for having agreed to speak to Bureau
members about OIF funding mechanisms, the draft strategic framework and its new
four‑year programming cycle.
Mr. Duhaime said that he was pleased
with this “first” and welcomed this new relationship. He commented that much
had changed in the French-speaking world in the last ten years and added that a
strategic framework would lead to a culture of results. As OIF Administrator,
he wanted indicators and assessments. He acknowledged the power of dialogue
between the OIF and the APF, la Francophonie’s consultative assembly, and the
excellent cooperation between the two organizations, praising the APF’s role as
democracy watchdog,. Mr. Duhaime also talked about the next Francophonie Summit
and discussed financing with the Bureau members.
APF Membership
The Bureau decided to recommend the granting of
observer status to the House of Representatives of New Hampshire (United States
of America) and to the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (COPA). The
Bureau will also recommend that the status of National Assembly of Armenia be
upgraded from associate member to member.
Activity Reports
Parliamentary Secretary General Pascal Terrasse
(France) presented his activity report, which was adopted.
Treasurer Michel Wolter (Luxembourg)
presented his financial report, which was adopted.
Mr. Robert Aubin (Canada), Chair of
the APF’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee, presented his committee’s report.
Senator Michèle André (France), Chair of the Political Committee,
presented his committee’s report. Mr. Didier Berberat
(Switzerland) presented the Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs
Committee’s report. Lastly, Mr. Garba Salibou (Chad) presented
the Cooperation and Development Committee’s report. Ms. Françoise Bertiaux
(Belgium/Francophone Community/Wallonia-Brussels), Chair of the Women’s
Parliamentary Network, presented the Network’s activity report.
The Hon. Andrée Champagne presented the
Americas Region activity report on behalf of Mr. Michel Samson
(Nova Scotia). In their capacity as chargés de mission, Mr. Christophe Lutundula Apala
Pen’Apala (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Ms. Boungnong
Boupha (Laos) presented activity reports for the Africa Region and the
Asia Pacific Region respectively. Mr. Jean-Paul Wahl,(Belgium/Francophone
Community/Wallonia-Brussels), chargé de mission, presented the activity report
for the Europe Region.
Strategic Framework and APF’s Opinion
The Parliamentary Secretary General presented his
draft strategic framework for the APF. Numerous constructive comments were made
regarding this document, which will be examined again at the next Bureau
meeting in Ottawa in July 2014.
International President Andrée Champagne
opened the discussion on the APF’s Opinion, saying that
she hoped it would be debated and adopted at the July plenary session in
Ottawa. The discussion was open and constructive and the draft opinion will be
distributed in June.
Political Situation
The Bureau examined the political situations in
the Francophone world that were of concern to parliamentarians. The Bureau made
declarations about the following countries: Guinea, Madagascar, Mali and the
Central African Republic. The Bureau lifted the suspension of the Guinea and
Madagascar branches. Moreover, Bureau members expressed their support for
lifting the suspension of the Madagascar Branch on condition that the new
parliament is in fact convened.
These
declarations are available at: http://www.apf.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/2014_02_bureau_situations_politiques_espace_francophone.pdf
(in French only)
Other Business
Bureau members also discussed issues pertaining to
inter-parliamentary cooperation programs and the awards presented by the APF.
The Hon. Andrée Champagne, as Chair of
the Canadian Branch, also informed the Bureau of the status of preparations for
the 40th Session in Ottawa (Canada).
The Bureau paid tribute to the late Fahky Konate,
Secretary General of the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire, who disappeared
suddenly in November 2013, and posthumously awarded him the rank of
Commander of the Order of the Pleiades.
Ms. Marie-Joséphine Diallo, Secretary
General of the National Assembly of Senegal, presented the report of the
Association of Secretaries General of la Francophonie.
Bilateral Meeting
The Hon. Andrée Champagne took part in a
bilateral meeting with Mr. Karim Ghellab President of
Morocco’s House of Representatives. She then participated in a press
conference.
For more information on this Bureau meeting,
please consult the Web site: http://www.apf.francophonie.org/spip.php?rubrique168
(in French only)
Thanks to its participation in this Bureau
meeting, the Canadian Branch was able to achieve its objectives: to meet its
international obligations, to defend the Canadian Branch’s budget interests, to
strengthen international ties, to defend its interests, to engage in an
important discussion on the APF’s Opinion and to actively participate in a
debate on the new APF strategic framework.
Respectfully submitted,
The Hon. Andrée Champagne, P.C., Senator
President of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF)