The Canadian
parliamentary delegation that attended the meeting of the Cooperation and
Development Committee and the meeting of the Parliamentary Network for the
Fight Against HIV/AIDS of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie
(APF), held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from May 23 to 27, 2011, is
honoured to present its report. The delegation was made up of the Hon. Rose-Marie
Losier-Cool, Senator and Substitute Rapporteur to the Committee, and was
accompanied by Mr. François Michaud, Branch Executive Secretary.
The
following branches were represented: Belgium (French Community/
Wallonia-Brussels), Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, France, Hungary, Jura,
Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Quebec, Romania, Senegal, Switzerland, Valle
d’Aosta, Valais, Vanuatu and Vietnam.
Cooperation
and Development Committee – Opening session
The agenda
and the record of decisions of the July 2010 meeting in Dakar, Senegal, were
adopted unanimously.
A word
from the Committee Chair
The
Vice-Chair of the Committee, Mr. Germain Chevarie, MNA (Quebec), on
behalf of the Committee Chair, Mr. Mahama Sawadogo, Member (Burkina
Faso), welcomed the new Committee members and updated the Committee on the work
completed since the Dakar session in July 2010.
Presentation
and review of draft reports
Follow-up
on the Ouagadougou Summit: La Francophonie’s contribution to adopting national
sustainable development strategies and developing national policies on
ecosystem and natural resource management
The
Substitute Rapporteur, the Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, Senator, on
behalf of Mr. Louis Plamondon, MP (Canada), briefed the
Committee on the background to this recurring theme. The report provided an
overview of the activities of the Organisation internationale de la
Francophonie (OIF) and its main operator, the Institut de l’énergie et de
l’environnement de la Francophonie (IEPF).
The report
presented by Senator Losier-Cool addressed issues that included biodiversity
and improving the relationships between parliamentarians, governments and
non-governmental organizations in order to maximize Francophone action on
sustainable development, the political visibility of the IEPF’s activities and
national strategies for sustainable development (NSSD).
The report
concluded by saying that the Committee must pursue its consideration of the
action to take in light of the Rio+20 conference, as well as the IEPF’s
objectives.
A number of
people spoke after this report was presented.
Follow-up
on international trade negotiations conducted under the World Trade
Organization
Mr. Germain Chevarie,
MNA, Committee Vice‑Chair and Co-Rapporteur (Quebec), presented the
report, which discussed recent developments in the trade negotiations carried
out under the Doha Round and future prospects. The second part of the report
focussed on recent Committee activities related to these trade negotiations.
A discussion
followed.
Economic
partnership agreements
The
rapporteurs, Mr. Jean-Pierre Dufau, Member (France), and
Mr. Alioune Souaré, Member (Senegal), delivered the report on this
new theme for the Committee. The report addressed several aspects of economic
partnership agreements and the history of negotiations, including areas of
convergence and divergence, and prospects.
A discussion
followed.
Securing
land title within La Francophonie
Mr. Patrick
Dupriez, Member (Belgium/French Community/Wallonia-Brussels) and Mr. Ouali
Diawara, Member (Mali), presented the report, which considered the issue of
land titling in the context of a more global approach to the problem of
farmers’ access to land, which is essential for ensuring food security for the
world’s population.
A discussion
followed.
Biodiversity
On behalf of
the Rapporteur, Mr. Ousmane Sow Huchard, Member (Senegal),
Mr. Alioune Souaré, Member (Senegal), presented the report on the
International Convention for the Conservation and Management of Biodiversity
and the contributions of La Francophonie.
A discussion
followed.
Other
business
The
Committee heard Mr. Hervé Cronel, Special Advisor to the
Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)
on Economic Policy and Sustainable Development, whose presentation covered the
following topics: the UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, biodiversity and corporate
social responsibility.
The
Committee prepared the presentation to be given by Mr. Abdou Diouf,
Secretary General of La Francophonie, at the annual meeting of the APF in
Kinshasa.
Parliamentary
Network for the Fight Against HIV/AIDS – Opening Session
Mr. Didier
Berberat, Member (Switzerland), Chair of the Education, Communication and
Cultural Affairs Committee (ECCAC) of the APF, opened the session.
Dr. Mom
Chim Huy, Vice-Chair of the Cambodian Branch, also welcomed the participants.
Ms. Savina Ammassari, Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, UNAIDS,
Cambodia, gave an overview of the HIV/AIDS situation in that country.
The agenda
and the record of decisions of the meeting held in Casablanca on March 27,
2010, were adopted.
Report of
the ECCAC Rapporteur on HIV/AIDS-related issues
Dr. Omar
Ndoye, Member (Senegal), reported on the activities of the Network and its
representatives since the last meeting.
A discussion
followed.
UNAIDS
exposé on the feminization of the epidemic
Ms. Juliette
Papy, Technical Advisor, Women, Girls and Gender Equality Branch, UNAIDS,
presented the UNAIDS exposé on the feminization of the epidemic.
A discussion
followed.
Parliamentary
debate on the Role of the State in addressing the rights and needs of women
and girls in the fight against HIV/AIDS
Cambodia,
Gabon, Quebec, the Belgian French Community, Burkina Faso, Switzerland,
Vanuatu, France, Valais and Senegal took part in the debate. The Hon. Rose-Marie
Losier-Cool, Senator (Canada), also participated in the debate in her
capacity as Chair of the APF Network of Women Parliamentarians. She mentioned
that, in July 2005, at a meeting of the Network of Women Parliamentarians
in Brussels, Ms. Marie-Rose Nguini Effa, Rapporteur for Cameroon, had
presented a report on women and AIDS in La Francophonie. She mentioned the key
points discussed in the report, including the fact that, although all women are
vulnerable to HIV, their vulnerability depends on race, social class, whether
they live in a rural or urban environment, sexual orientation, religion and
culture.
A discussion
followed these presentations.
Follow-up
on the memorandum of understanding between the APF and UNAIDS
Dr. Omar
Ndoye, Member (Senegal), presented a document on the follow-up to the memorandum
of understanding signed by UNAIDS and the APF in July 2010.
A discussion
followed.
UNAIDS:
the most recent Global Report
Dr. Jean-Élie
Malkin, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of UNAIDS, gave an
overview of the 2010 Global Report (which contains data from 2009).
A discussion
followed.
Global
Fund to Fight AIDS
Mr. Svend
Robinson, Senior Advisor, Parliamentary Relations and. Special Initiatives,
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, gave an account of the
difficulties encountered by the Fund at the replenishment meeting in
October 2010.
A discussion
followed.
Report on
interpersonal, emotional and sexual education for girls and boys as a means of
preventing HIV
Ms. Patricia
Morelli, Member (Valle d’Aosta), presented the report, which summarized
educational measures to prevent HIV/AIDS in various countries, the policy and
financial management of educational programs to prevent HIV/AIDS, information
programs on HIV/AIDS, emotional and sexual education programs, and programs
aimed specifically at young people to promote equality‑based sexual and
interpersonal relationships between genders.
Respectfully submitted,
Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool,
Senator
Member of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la
Francophonie (APF)