Report

The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) that attended the APF Bureau meeting in Rabat, Morocco, from February 5 to 7, 2014, has the honour to present its report.

The members of the Canadian Branch delegation were the Hon. Andrée Champagne, P.C., Senator and Chair of the Canadian Branch, and Mr. Robert Aubin, MP and Chair of the APF’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee. The delegation was accompanied by François Michaud, Association Secretary.

In addition to the Canadian Branch, the following branches also participated in the work: Belgium/Francophone Community/Wallonia-Brussels, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Jura, Laos, Luxembourg, Morocco, Niger, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Switzerland, Chad and Vietnam.

Bureau Business

Mr. Karim Ghellab, President of Morocco’s House of Representatives, welcomed the participants. In his keynote address, he mentioned the strong ties that exist between Morocco and the APF, and stressed that his country is the hub between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.

The Hon. Andrée Champagne, chairing her first Bureau meeting as International President, opened the session.

The agenda and the minutes of the meeting held in Abidjan on July 8, 2013, were adopted.

Address by the OIF Administrator

The Hon. Andrée Champagne welcomed Mr. Clément Duhaime, Administrator of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), and thanked him for having agreed to speak to Bureau members about OIF funding mechanisms, the draft strategic framework and its new four‑year programming cycle.

Mr. Duhaime said that he was pleased with this “first” and welcomed this new relationship. He commented that much had changed in the French-speaking world in the last ten years and added that a strategic framework would lead to a culture of results. As OIF Administrator, he wanted indicators and assessments. He acknowledged the power of dialogue between the OIF and the APF, la Francophonie’s consultative assembly, and the excellent cooperation between the two organizations, praising the APF’s role as democracy watchdog,. Mr. Duhaime also talked about the next Francophonie Summit and discussed financing with the Bureau members.

APF Membership

The Bureau decided to recommend the granting of observer status to the House of Representatives of New Hampshire (United States of America) and to the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (COPA). The Bureau will also recommend that the status of National Assembly of Armenia be upgraded from associate member to member.

Activity Reports

Parliamentary Secretary General Pascal Terrasse (France) presented his activity report, which was adopted.

Treasurer Michel Wolter (Luxembourg) presented his financial report, which was adopted.

Mr. Robert Aubin (Canada), Chair of the APF’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee, presented his committee’s report. Senator Michèle André (France), Chair of the Political Committee, presented his committee’s report. Mr. Didier Berberat (Switzerland) presented the Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs Committee’s report. Lastly, Mr. Garba Salibou (Chad) presented the Cooperation and Development Committee’s report. Ms. Françoise Bertiaux (Belgium/Francophone Community/Wallonia-Brussels), Chair of the Women’s Parliamentary Network, presented the Network’s activity report.

The Hon. Andrée Champagne presented the Americas Region activity report on behalf of Mr. Michel Samson (Nova Scotia). In their capacity as chargés de mission, Mr. Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Ms. Boungnong Boupha (Laos) presented activity reports for the Africa Region and the Asia Pacific Region respectively. Mr. Jean-Paul Wahl, (Belgium/Francophone Community/Wallonia-Brussels), chargé de mission, presented the activity report for the Europe Region.

Strategic Framework and APF’s Opinion

The Parliamentary Secretary General presented his draft strategic framework for the APF. Numerous constructive comments were made regarding this document, which will be examined again at the next Bureau meeting in Ottawa in July 2014.

International President Andrée Champagne opened the discussion on the APF’s Opinion, saying that she hoped it would be debated and adopted at the July plenary session in Ottawa. The discussion was open and constructive and the draft opinion will be distributed in June.

Political Situation

The Bureau examined the political situations in the Francophone world that were of concern to parliamentarians. The Bureau made declarations about the following countries: Guinea, Madagascar, Mali and the Central African Republic. The Bureau lifted the suspension of the Guinea and Madagascar branches. Moreover, Bureau members expressed their support for lifting the suspension of the Madagascar Branch on condition that the new parliament is in fact convened.

These declarations are available at: http://www.apf.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/2014_02_bureau_situations_politiques_espace_francophone.pdf (in French only)

Other Business

Bureau members also discussed issues pertaining to inter-parliamentary cooperation programs and the awards presented by the APF.

The Hon. Andrée Champagne, as Chair of the Canadian Branch, also informed the Bureau of the status of preparations for the 40th Session in Ottawa (Canada).

The Bureau paid tribute to the late Fahky Konate, Secretary General of the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire, who disappeared suddenly in November 2013, and posthumously awarded him the rank of Commander of the Order of the Pleiades.

Ms. Marie-Joséphine Diallo, Secretary General of the National Assembly of Senegal, presented the report of the Association of Secretaries General of la Francophonie.

Bilateral Meeting

The Hon. Andrée Champagne took part in a bilateral meeting with Mr. Karim Ghellab President of Morocco’s House of Representatives. She then participated in a press conference.

For more information on this Bureau meeting, please consult the Web site: http://www.apf.francophonie.org/spip.php?rubrique168 (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 strengthen international ties, to defend its interests, to engage in an important discussion on the APF’s Opinion and to actively participate in a debate on the new APF strategic framework.

 

Respectfully submitted,