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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,
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