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The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) that attended the APF Bureau meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from February 8 to 10, 2012, has the honour to present its report. The members of the delegations were the Hon. Andrée Champagne, Senator, Chair of the Canadian Branch and First Vice-President of the APF, and the Hon. Pierre De Bané, Senator and Chair of the APF’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee. The delegation was accompanied by Mr. François Michaud, Association Secretary. The following branches were represented: Belgium/Francophone Community /Wallonia-Brussels, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Jura, Laos, Luxembourg, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Senegal, Switzerland and Vietnam. Matters of protocol A message from King Norodom Sihamoni was read by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Cambodia, Mr. Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin. He then welcomed all the Bureau members. The President of the APF, Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Speaker of the National Assembly (Burkina Faso), thanked the King of Cambodia and the Cambodian parliamentarians and noted that the King’s father was one of the influential people who first brought parliamentarians of La Francophonie together. Bureau business After the agenda and the meetings of the previous Bureau were adopted unanimously, the President of the APF asked Ms. Anissa Barrak, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF), to speak. She presented the IOF’s programs in the region, which support the promotion of French. The Parliamentary Secretary General of the APF, Senator Jacques Legendre (France), presented his report on activities. This detailed report covered the APF’s participation in international meetings, the activities of the general secretariat, interparliamentary co-operation programs, the APF’s role of promoting democracy, and various internal matters. Budget Mr. Michel Wolter, Member of the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg) and APF Treasurer, presented the proposed 2012 budget. The budget was passed after debate. Update on the work of the Network of Women Parliamentarians Ms. Françoise Bertiaux, representative of Belgium/Francophone Community/ Wallonia-Brussels and Chair of the Network of Women Parliamentarians, presented the Network’s report on activities. She spoke about the Network’s mission in Tunisia in December 2011, which was a huge success. Reports from the regional Chargés de mission The Chargé de mission for the Americas, Mr. Yvon Bonenfant, MLA (New Brunswick), presented the activities report for the region. Mr. Salvador Yameogo, Member of the National Assembly (Burkina Faso) and Chargé de mission, presented the report for the Africa Region; Mr. Bounpong Keorodom, Member of the National Assembly (Laos) and Chargé de mission, presented on behalf of the Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Jean-Paul Wahl, representative of Belgium/Francophone Community/ Wallonia-Brussels and the Chargé de mission for the Europe Region, also presented his region’s report. Committee business Mr. André Schneider, Deputy (France) and Chair of the Political Committee, presented the report on activities for his Committee. Mr. Didier Berberat, State Councillor (Switzerland), presented the report for the Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs Committee, of which he is the Chair; he also took the opportunity to note the excellent work of Ms. Christine Lafrance, Advisor to the Committee, who will return to the Parliament of Canada in the near future. The Hon. Senator Pierre De Bané (Canada), Chair of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee, presented that committee’s report. Lastly, Mr. Joseph Ndong, Member of the National Assembly (Senegal) and Chair of the Co-operation and Development Committee, presented his report. Brief on funding for La Francophonie internationally, presented by the Canadian Branch The Chair of the Canadian Branch, the Hon. Andrée Champagne (Canada), presented a brief on behalf of the Branch regarding funding for the International Organisation of La Francophonie and its subsidiary bodies. The Canadian Branch wants to see the APF take the initiative to propose an improvement in the democratic legitimacy of the actions of La Francophonie internationally to reinforce La Francophonie, thereby contributing in a concrete way to ensuring the future of the Francophone community. The idea is to ensure that the IOF has the financial resources and the legitimacy required to reinforce its mission and to implement all of the decisions made at the Summit of La Francophonie Heads of State and Government. This proposal was discussed at length, and it was agreed that the issue would be sent to the APF’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee for follow up. Overview of the political situation in various countries The Bureau examined the political situations in the Francophone world that were of concern to parliamentarians. The Bureau made declarations about the following countries: Ivory Coast, Guinea, Syria, Egypt, Haiti, Hungary, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tunisia, Madagascar, Senegal and the Sahelo-Saharan zone. Order of the Pléiade The Bureau met as a Council of the Order and adopted the list of nominations that had been submitted by a number of branches, including the Canadian Branch. Other business Ms. Marie Joséphine Diallo, Secretary General of the National Assembly of Senegal, presented the report on activities for the Association des secrétaires généraux des Parlements francophones. For more information about this Bureau meeting, please visit: http://www.apf.francophonie.org/spip.php?rubrique145 (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 ensure the approval of nominations for the Order of the Pléiade, to strengthen international ties and to defend its interests. It also presented a brief that sparked a serious discussion.
Respectfully submitted,
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