The
parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire
de la Francophonie (APF), which attended the APF bureau meeting in Kinshasa
(Democratic Republic of Congo) on July 4, 2011 and the XXXVIIth session of the
APF, also held in Kinshasa from July 5 to 8, 2011, is honoured to present its
report. The delegation was led by the Hon. Andrée Champagne, Senator and
President of the Canadian Branch, and included the following parliamentarians:
the Hon. Pierre De Bané, Senator; the Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool,
Senator; Shelly Glover, MP; and Louis Plamondon, MP. Accompanying
the delegation were François Michaud, Branch Association Secretary, and
Jean-Luc Bourdages, analyst with the Library of Parliament.
The
following branches were represented at the XXXVIIth session: Belgium/
Francophone Community/Wallonia-Brussels, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cambodia, Canada, Central African Economic and Monetary Union (CEMAC), Central
African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea,
France, Gabon, Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Jura, Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Romania, Rwanda,
Senegal, Switzerland, Togo, Vanuatu, Vaud and Vietnam.
Bureau
business
Senators Andrée
Champagne, Vice-President of the APF, Rose-Marie-Losier-Cool, Chair
of the Women’s Parliamentary Network, and Pierre De Bané, Chair of the
Parliamentary Affairs Committee, attended the Bureau meeting.
The APF
Bureau meeting was held in Kinshasa on July 4, 2011, and was chaired by Jacques
Chagnon, President of the Quebec National Assembly and President of the
APF, following the resignation of Yvon Vaillières.
Opening
of Bureau meeting
Evariste
Boshab, President of the National Assembly of the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), opened the meeting with a brief address of
welcome to Bureau members. He highlighted the progress made by the DRC in
recent years during what he called "this difficult phase for a
post-conflict State".
After
adopting the minutes from the meeting held in Quebec City on January 31 and
February 1, 2011, Bureau members expressed their support for lifting the
suspension of the Niger Branch and for conferring observer status to the Forum
des francophones du Parlement européen. The Parliamentary Secretary General’s
activity report was tabled by Henriette Martinez, Member (France), in
place of Senator Jacques Legendre. This comprehensive report covered
such topics as APF participation in international meetings, the activities of the general secretariat, interparliamentary
cooperation programs, the APF’s role in promoting democracy, and various
internal matters.
The Hon. AndréeChampagne, Vice-President of the APF and President of the Canadian
Branch, commented on the timely submission of working documents and suggested
that a minimum of 72 hours be required in the future.
Committee
Business
André
Schneider, Member (France) and Chair of the
Political Committee, presented his committee's activity report. Didier
Berberat, State Councillor (Switzerland), presented the report for the
Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs committee, which he chairs, and
the report of the Parliamentary Network to fight AIDS/HIV, which falls under
his committee. The Hon. Senator Pierre De Bané (Canada), Chair of the
Parliamentary Affairs Committee, reported on his committee’s work. Lastly, Mahama
Sawadogo, Member of the National Assembly (Burkina Faso), and Chair of the Cooperation and Development Committee, presented
his report.
Reports
from regional chargés de mission
France
Gélinas, MPP (Ontario), representing Jean-Marc
Lalonde, MPP (Ontario), the chargé de mission for the America Region,
presented the region’s activity report. Mahama Sawadogo, Member
(Burkina Faso) and Ngo Quang Xuan, Member (Vietnam), both acting chargés
de mission, presented the reports from the Africa Region and the Asia-Pacific
Region respectively. Jean-Paul Wahl Member (Belgium/Francophone
Community/Wallonia-Brussels) and regional chargé de mission, presented the
report from the Europe Region.
Follow-up
on the work of the APF’s Women’s Parliamentary Network
The Hon. Rose-Marie
Losier-Cool, Senator (Canada) and Chair of the Women’s Parliamentary
Network, presented her activity report. In the report, she mentioned her participation in a regional seminar in Ouagadougou whose theme was
"Legislating against violence against women and girls: the role of
parliaments and parliamentarians in Central and West Africa".
Treasurer’s
report on the 2010 financial statements and the amended 2011 budget
Michel
Wolter, Member (Luxembourg) and Treasurer,
presented his report. Following discussion, the Bureau approved the 2010
financial statements and the amended 2011 budget. With the adoption of the
report, and pursuant to section 20.10 of the regulations,
the Guinea-Bissau Branch ceased to be a member of the APF.
Interparliamentary
cooperation programs
Representing
the Parliamentary Secretary General, Henriette Martinez reviewed the
APF’s cooperation programs. She stated that the Noria program, designed
primarily to help upgrade parliamentary information systems in legislatures in
the southern hemisphere, is one of the APF's major cooperative activities
involving member parliaments. She also discussed internship programs, seminars,
election observers’ missions and the Parlement
francophone des jeunes (PFJ), the Francophone youth parliament.
Bureau
positions
President Chagnon
informed Bureau members that the General Secretariat had received nominations
from the regional assemblies for Bureau positions. He moved that the Bureau
approve the candidates for the various Bureau positions in advance.
President:
Roch Marc Christian KABORE, President of the National Assembly – Burkina Faso
First
Vice-President: Andrée CHAMPAGNE, Senator - Canada
Vice-Presidents:
- Évariste
BOSHAB, President of the National Assembly – Democratic Republic of Congo
- Mathurin
COFFI NAGO, President of the National Assembly - Benin
- Jacques
CHAGNON, President of the National Assembly – Quebec
- Christian
DUPONT, Member - Belgium/Francophone Community/Wallonia-Brussels
- Henriette
MARTINEZ, Member - France
Treasurer:
Michel WOLTER, Member - Luxembourg
Members:
- Pontien
NIYONGABO, Vice-President of the National Assembly – Burundi
- Hilarion
ETONG, First Vice-President of the National Assembly - Cameroon
- André
BURRI, Member - Jura
-
Adbdelouahed RADI, President of the National Assembly - Morocco
- Michel
SAMSON, MLA - Nova Scotia
- Mamadou
SECK, President of the National Assembly – Senegal
- André
BUGNON, National Councillor - Switzerland
Regional chargés de mission:
Africa
Region: Salvador Yaméogo, Member - Burkina Faso
America
Region: Yvon Bonenfant, MLA – New Brunswick
Asia Pacific
Region: Koukeo Akhamountry, Member - Laos
Europe
Region: Jean-Paul Wahl, Member - Belgium/Francophone
Community/Wallonia-Brussels
Other
Business
As the
result of a proposal made by the Hon. Andrée Champagne, President of the
Canadian Branch, the Bureau decided to no longer use the questionnaires sent to
branches in the preparation of committee and network reports.
As the
result of a comment made by the Hon. Andrée Champagne, President of the
Canadian Branch, the Bureau decided to provide branches that wish to do so the
opportunity to pay support fees higher than the basic amount.
As the
result of a proposal made by the Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, Senator
(Canada) and Chair of the Women’s Parliamentary Network, the Bureau decided to
amend the schedule of the sessions to allow women parliamentarians in the
Bureau to be able to take part in the Bureau’s theme day. .
Ordre de
la Pléiade
The Bureau
met as a Council of the Order and adopted the list of nominations submitted by
several branches, including the Canadian Branch.
The APF
Network of Women Parliamentarians met in Kinshasa on July 5, 2011. The Hon. Rose-Marie
Losier-Cool (Canada) chaired the meeting.
Following
approval of the draft agenda and minutes from the meeting held in Dakar on July
5, 2010, Senator Losier-Cool delivered her report as chair.
The Network
heard presentations from Marie-Ange Lukiana
Mufwankol, the Congolese Minister of Gender and
Family, and from Rachel Boketa, representing UN Women.
Stéphanie
Vallée, MNA (Quebec) and
one of the Network’s rapporteurs presented her follow-up report on "Women’s
Economic Empowerment".
Joséphine
Nze Mouenidiambou, Member(Gabon) and another of the Network’s rapporteurs, presented her
report on "Human Trafficking".
Stéphanie
Vallée then presented her preliminary report on the
follow-up to the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all
Forms of Discrimination against Women together with a report on the follow-up
in Burkina Faso by Mariam Marie-Gisèle Guigma Diasso, Member, and
Canada’s report presented by France Gélinas, MPP (Ontario).
France
Gélinas, MPP(Ontario)
presented her report on making the term “droits de l’homme" gender
neutral. Her report was adopted and Ms. Gélinas was authorized to
continue her research.
Following
discussion, members of the Network decided to ask the Secretary General of the
Francophonie a question about rape as weapon of war. Shelly Glover,
MP, and Vice-President of the Canadian Branch, commented on Canada’s actions to
combat rape as a weapon of war in the DRC.
For more
information on this meeting, please visit:
http://apf-francophonie.org/spip.php?article134
Parliamentary
Affairs Committee
The Hon. Pierre
De Bané, Senator (Canada), chaired the meeting of the Parliamentary Affairs
Committee held in Kinshasa on July 6 and 7, 2011.
Following
adoption of the agenda and the record of decisions from the Clermont-Ferrand
meeting, Senator De Bané delivered the chairman's report
Sylvie
Roy, MNA(Quebec),
and Blaise Lambert Kyelem, Member (Burkina Faso), presented a report on
political nomadism.
Martine
Bondo, Senator (Gabon), presented her report on
interparliamentary cooperation.
Fatiha
Layadi, Member (Morocco) presented her report
entitled “Parliament, Press, Media and
Democratization”.
The Hon. Pierre
De Bané, Senator (Canada) and Chair of the committee, presented the
document entitled "Legislative assemblies in the francophone sphere:
procedures and practices".
Louis
Vlavonou, Member (Benin), presented his report on
discrimination and free and transparent elections.
Ndéye
Gaye Cissé, Member (Senegal), presented her report
on human rights, religion and parity.
Committee
members reviewed the follow-up reports on interparliamentary cooperation
programs: election observation missions, parliamentary seminars and
internships, the Noria program, the Francophone youth parliament and national
youth parliaments. As a former participant and spokesperson, Anne Soisson
provided a lively testimonial to the Francophone youth parliament.
Chairman
De Bané remindedparticipants that, under section 12.4 of the APF’s regulations, each committee must elect its
officers during the session, for a mandate that ends at the end of the second
session following their election. The regional Assemblies had considered their
nominees, whom he submitted to the committee for approval. The America Region
proposed the reappointment of Senator Pierre De Bané as Chairman of the
committee. For the two Vice-Chair positions, the Europe Region proposed Michele
André (France) and the Africa Region proposed Martine Bondo (Gabon). For the
four rapporteur positions, the Europe Region proposed Jean-Claude Maene
(Belgium/Francophone community/Wallonia-Brussels), the Africa Region proposed
Martin Balikwisha Nyonyo (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Louis Vlavonou
(Benin) and the America Region proposed Sylvie Roy (Quebec). The proposals were
accepted.
For more
information on this meeting, please visit:
A meeting of
the Political Committee was held in Kinshasa on July 6 and 7, 2011 and chaired
by André Schneider, Member (France).
Following
adoption of the agenda and the record of decisions from the Liège meeting, Mr. Schneider
delivered the chairman's report.
Henri-François
Gautrin, MNA (Quebec) presented a report on the
institution of the ombudsman in the francophone world.
Shelly
Glover, MP (Canada), presented a report on natural
resources and conflicts. This is a complex and sensitive issue on a number of
levels; it has a direct impact on the daily lives of millions of people, many
of whom live in the countries of the Francophonie. The issue includes
situations in which people living near or working on natural resource
operations see their human rights compromised. This brings with it discontent
and unrest, including violent conflicts between factions that are generally
inside a country or on its borders. The main resources and industries
principally affected are oil, mining (diamonds, gold, tin and coltan), and
forestry. But agricultural products (cacao and coffee) can also be involved.
The UN
Secretary General for human rights and multinationals is very interested in
this issue. Wherever natural resource extraction projects are carried out,
governments and the national and multinational companies involved have a
responsibility to implement and comply with the appropriate governance
mechanisms.
The Canadian
mining industry is very active beyond our borders, with many companies
developing some of the largest deposits around the world, particularly in
Africa and South America. Two private member’s bills have been introduced in
the House of Commons regarding the corporate social responsibility of Canadian
extraction companies working abroad.
The
preliminary report was adopted.
Denise
Mekamne, Member (Gabon), presented a report on
political situations in the Francophone world. Resolutions were passed about
the following countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Syria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Haiti, Lebanon, Morocco,
Tunisia and the Sahelo-Saharan zone. The committee decided to submit a proposal
to the Plenary Session (Kinshasa, July 2011) to suspend the Syria Branch.
Françoise
Fassiaux-Looten, Member (Belgium/Francophone
Community/Wallonia-Brussels), presented a report on demographic challenges in
the 21st century.
Regional
Assemblies made their nominations for Chairman Schneider to submit for
committee approval. The Europe Region proposed the reappointment of André
Schneider as Chairman of the committee. For the two Vice-Chair positions, the
America Region proposed Henri-François Gautrin (Quebec) and the Africa Region
proposed Alioune Souaré (Senegal). For the four rapporteur positions, the
Europe Region proposed Françoise Fassiaux-Looten (Belgium/Francophone
Community/Wallonia-Brussels), the Africa Region proposed Denise Mekamne
(Gabon), the America Region proposed Bernard Trottier (Canada) and
Henri-François Gautrin (Quebec). The proposals were adopted.
For more
information on this meeting, please visit:
http://apf-francophonie.org/spip.php?article442
Cooperation
and Development Committee
The
Cooperation and Development Committee met in Kinshasa on July 6 and 7, 2011,
chaired by Mahama Sawadogo, Member (Burkina Faso).
Following
adoption of the agenda and the record of decisions from the Phnom Penh meeting,
Mr. Sawadogo delivered the chairman's report.
Étienne
Alingué, Director of Sustainable Development and
Solidarity at the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, gave a
presentation on sectors of the economy and sustainable development in the
Francophonie. Specifically, he described the Francophonie’s involvement in
making submissions to the G8 and G20, the key points from the Conference on the
Least Developed Countries, recently held in Istanbul, innovations in finance,
the effectiveness of aid, and the OIF’s support for target communities as a
factor in achieving sustainability in local development.
Jean
Pierre Dufau, Member (France), presented a report
on economic partnership agreements.
Ouali
Diawara, Member (Mali), and Patrick Dupriez,
Member (Belgium/Francohone
Community/Wallonia-Brussels), presented a report on the security of land titles
in the francophone world. The report dealt with the first steps into the topic
and with regulating land titles from the perspective of food sovereignty.
Louis
Plamondon, Member (Canada), presented a follow-up
report on the Ouagadougou summit and described the background to this issue,
which the committee deals with on an ongoing basis. The report provided an
overview of the programming of the Organisation
internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and its main agent on the matter, the
Institut de l’énergie et de l’environnement de la Francophonie (IEPF).
The report
explored issues such as biodiversity, ways to enhance the synergy between
parliamentarians, governments and nongovernmental organizations as a way to
maximize the Francophonie’s contributions to sustainable development, the
political visibility of the IEPF’s activities, and national sustainable
development strategies.
The report
concluded by stating that the committee must continue its consideration of the
action required at the Rio+20 conference, and its work on the IEPF objectives.
Mahama
Sawadogo, Member (Burkina Faso), and Germain
Chevarie, MNA (Quebec), presented a follow-up report on trade negotiations
conducted under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Alioune
Souaré, Member (Senegal), presented a report on
biodiversity.
Regional
Assemblies put forward their nominations for Chairman Sawadogo to submit
for committee approval. The Africa Region proposed Joseph Ndong (Senegal) as
Chairman of the committee. For the two Vice-Chair positions, the America
Region proposed Germain Chevarie (Quebec) and the Africa Region proposed Boris
Mbuku Laka (DRC). For the rapporteur positions, the Europe Region proposed
Jean-Pierre Dufau (France) and the Africa Region proposed Bernard Ateawung Foju
(Cameroon). The proposals were adopted.
Education,
Communication and Cultural Affairs Commitee
The
Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs Committee met in Kinshasa on July
6 and 7, 2011, chaired by Didier Berberat, State Councillor
(Switzerland).
Following
the adoption of the agenda and the minutes from the meeting held in Quebec
City, Chairman Berberat delivered the chairman's activity report.
Dr. Omar
Ndoye, Member (Senegal) and committee rapporteur for HIV/AIDS presented his
activity report.
Representing
the Val d’Aoste Branch, Dr. Ndoye presented a report on EVRAS (education
on relationships, and emotional and sexual life) for girls and boys as a weapon
in the fight against HIV.
Jacques
Ki Boureima, Secretary General of the Conférence
des ministres de l'Éducation des pays ayant le français en partage (CONFEMEN)
made a presentation on the second millenium goal, which focuses on education.
Anne
Laure Folly-Reimann, the head of UNESCO’s Kinshasa
office, reported on the recent UNESCO report entitled "The Hidden Crisis:
Armed Conflict and Education".
Yvon
Fontaine, Chairman of the Board of the Agence universitaire
de la Francophonie (AUF), Bernard Cerquiglini, Rector of the AUF, and Alain
Ondoua, AUF Regional Director for Central Africa and the Great Lakes
Region, made a presentation on AUF. Established in 1961, the organization
operates in the Francophonie and has 780 members in 84 countries, which provide
95% of its funding.
Jean-Pierre
Cuq, President of the Fédération internationale des
professeurs de français, made a presentation on his federation.
Gilles
Robert, MNA (Quebec), provided a summary of a follow-up
report on the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of
Cultural Expressions and on the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Diversity
of Cultural Expressions.
Regional
Assemblies put forward their nominations for Chairman Berberat to submit
for committee approval. The Europe Region proposed the reappointment of Didier
Berberat as Chairman of the committee.
For the
Education Subcommittee, the Europe Region proposed the reappointment of Alberto
Cerise (Val d’Aoste) as Chairman of the Committee. For the two Vice-Chair
positions, the Europe Region proposed René Dozière (France) and the Africa
Region proposed Ibrahima Lanceni Coulibay (Mali). For the rapporteur positions,
the Europe Region proposed Georgica Severin (Romania) and the Africa Region
proposed Muyumba Ngoye (Senegal). The proposals were adopted.
For more
information on this meeting, please visit:
The
Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) held a plenary session in
Kinshasa (RDC) from July 6 to 8, 2011.
Jacques
Chagnon, President of the National Assembly of
Quebec and President of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, chaired
the two days of debate.
Some 250
participants attended the opening ceremony, in which Joseph Kabila,
President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, took part.
The APF
granted membership to the Greece Branch, lifted the suspension of the Niger
Branch and granted observer status to the Forum des Francophones du Parlement
européen.
The APF
began the session by hearing from Abdou Diouf, Secretary General of the
Francophonie, who answered questions from parliamentarians. Because of the lack
of time, it was not possible for the Canadian Branch to ask a question.
As part of
the general discussion, the plenary session examined the topic "Peace,
democacy and elections". On behalf of the Canadian Branch, the Hon. Andrée
Champagne participated in the debate. One of her comments was "at the
same time as Canada is ensuring that its own democratic system is fair and
transparent, we are supporting international efforts to promote democracy. For
the Canadian International Development Agency, the goal is for all citizens of
developing countries to be able to actively and meaningfully participate in the
exercise of power and in the public decisions that affect their lives".
The assembly
adopted the activity report by Jacques Legendre, Senator (France) and
APF Parliamentary Secretary General and the financial report by Michel
Wolter, Member (Luxembourg) and APF Treasurer, that presented the 2010
financial statements and the amended 2011 budget.
The assembly
adopted draft reports and the following resolutions from standing committees
and the Network of Women Parliamentarians:
vEducation, Communication and Cultural Affairs
Committee
ØResolution on UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and the
French language
ØResolution on EVRAS (education
for young people on relationships, and emotional and sexual life) as a way to
prevent HIV/AIDS.
ØResolution on women’s rights and the response to
AIDS
ØResolution on the follow-up to the Quebec City
Declaration
vParliamentary Affairs Committee
ØResolution on Interparliamentary Cooperation
vCooperation and Development Committee
ØResolution on economic partnership agreements
(EPAs)
vPolitical Committee
ØResolution on the political situations in the
Francophone world
vNetwork of Women Parliamentarians
ØResolution on eliminating all forms of sexual
violence, especially in armed conflicts
The
resolutions and transcripts of the speeches are available on the APF website:
http://apf-francophonie.org/spip.php?rubrique139
The
Assemblée took formal note of the activity reports of the regional Chargés de
mission.
Outside the
session, Shelly Glover, MP and Vice-President of the Branch, met with Harriet
Solloway, a Canadian lawyer and the Director of the Rule of Law Unit in the
United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).
The members
of the APF Canadian Branch delegation wish to express their warmest thanks to Jean-Pierre
Bolduc, Canadian chargé d’affaires to the Democratic Republic of Congo, for
his generosity, his cooperation and his great professionalism.
Because of
its participation in this annual gathering, the Canadian Branch achieved its
goals of meeting its international obligations, of representing the Canadian
Branch’s budget interests, of actively participating in discussions with the Secretary
General of the OIF, of obtaining approval for the Branch’s nominations to the
Ordre de la Pléiade, of strengthening international ties and of representing
Branch interests.
Respectfully submitted,
Hon.
Andrée Champagne, P.C., Senator
President of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF)