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The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch that attended the XXVII Session of the Europe Regional Assembly of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), held in Warsaw, Poland, from September 28 to October 1, 2014, has the honour of presenting its report. The delegation from the Canadian Branch of the APF consisted of the Honourable Senator Paul E. McIntyre, QC, President of the APF. The delegation was accompanied by François Michaud, Association Secretary. The following branches took part in the proceedings of the Europe Regional Assembly: Andorra, Armenia, Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Catalonia, France, Hungary, Jersey, Jura, Monaco, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, Valais, Valle d’Aosta and Vaud. The representative of the Americas chargé de mission was also present. XXVII Session of the Europe Regional Assembly As International President of the APF, the Honourable Paul E. McIntyre travelled to Warsaw to take part in the XXVII Session of the APF’s Europe Regional Assembly. This annual meeting is attended by legitimately elected European parliamentarians who discuss the concerns and aspirations of their constituents. The Regional Assembly is a forum that supports close cooperation and genuine intercultural dialogue. More than a discussion forum, the Europe Regional Assembly is a genuine driver for the parliamentary initiatives of the Francophonie. The formal opening session of the Assembly consisted of speeches by Jean-Paul Wahl, MP (Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels Federation), and APF European chargé de mission; Senator Jan Wyrowinski, deputy speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland; Senator Marek Ziółkowski, Chair of the Polish Branch of the APF; and the Honourable Paul E. McIntyre, President of the APF. The President laid out his vision for his mandate as head of the APF. The first topic was the Francophonie in Poland, with a focus on engaging young Francophones in promoting democracy, multiculturalism and multilingualism. Radosław Kucharczyk, associate deputy director of research for the Institut d'Études Romanes; Janina Zielinska, chair of the Collège de Formation des Professeurs de Français at the University of Warsaw, chief advisor to the president of the Fédération internationale des Professeurs de Français (FIPF) and honorary chair of the FIPF’s Commission pour l’Europe centrale et orientale; and Renata Klimek-Kowalska, coordinator of a project on the francophone classes of Silesia and chair of the Association Europe des Langues et des Cultures, made presentations. The Assembly also heard from French-language students from Silesia and the French lycée of Warsaw, as well as French teachers and their students from Skierniewice. The topic for the second working session was the practical side of the Francophonie, specifically the day-to-day challenges facing Francophones in countries where French is not an official language. Franck Pezza, a representative of Wallonia-Brussels in Warsaw and chair of the Groupe des Ambassades, Délégations, Institutions francophones de Varsovie (GADIF), Remigiusz Forycki, professor and dean of the faculty of modern languages at the University of Warsaw, and Pascale Peeter, reader in French at the Institut d'Études Romanes, made presentations. The Assembly also heard from Maciej Witucki, chair of the Conseil de surveillance de Orange Polska, Jadwiga Czartoryska, chair of the Fondation Orange Polska, Monika Constant, chief executive officer of the Chambre du Commerce et de l’Industrie française en Pologne, and Jacek Z. Karczewsk, member of the Association France-Pologne and chair of the Commission pour les Jeux de la Francophonie. The final working session was devoted to the topic of multiculturalism and multilingualism as universal values in Central and Western Europe in the 20th and 21st centuries. Maciej Forycki, professor of history at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Marek Ziółkowski, Chair of the Polish Branch of the APF, and author Marek Potocki made presentations. The representative of the chargé de mission for the Americas, Marie-France Lalonde, MPP (Ontario), presented the activity report for her region. The Assembly adopted a resolution on the promotion of French-language teaching. For more information, including written versions
of certain speeches, please visit By participating in these meetings, the Canadian Branch achieved its goals of meeting its international obligations, maintaining international contacts and representing its interests. Respectfully submitted,
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