NEWS RELEASES
BOUDRIA TO PARTICIPATE IN EIGHTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF LA FRANCOPHONIE IN MARRAKECH
December 12, 1996 No. 242
BOUDRIA TO PARTICIPATE IN EIGHTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
OF LA FRANCOPHONIE IN MARRAKECH
The Honourable Don Boudria, Minister for International Co-operation and Minister
Responsible for la Francophonie, will visit Marrakech on December 17 and 18 to
take part in the eighth Ministerial Conference of la Francophonie, a midway review
between two summits.
Talks at the Conference will focus on five main areas. To begin with, an initial
balance-sheet will be prepared outlining Cotonou Summit follow-up activities, such
as the installation of 10 server centres providing Internet access to 10
developing countries in la Francophonie and the creation of a network of legal aid
and consultation centres for women in la Francophonie member countries.
Second, attention will be focussed on the precarious situation in West Africa's
Great Lakes region, a problem that directly concerns la Francophonie.
Third, Conference participants will attempt to reach an agreement on reforming the
institutions of la Francophonie. The main issue is to define both the role and
powers of the new Secretary General of la Francophonie, who will be appointed in
Hanoi, and the place of the Agence de coopération culturelle et technique (ACCT)
among the other Francophone institutions.
Fourth, Mr. Boudria will announce to the member countries of the Francophone
community, Moncton, New Brunswick's candidacy to host the 1999 Summit. "Canada
believes that 12 years after the Quebec City Summit, after two summits in Europe,
two in Africa and two in Asia-Pacific, it is time for us to hold a second summit
in America," said the Minister.
Finally, Conference participants will set the guidelines for the next summit,
scheduled for mid-November 1997 in Hanoi. Canada would like the Hanoi Summit to
concentrate on the information highway in la Francophonie, on following through
with those projects initiated at the Cotonou Summit that are likely to be
supported by other partners, and on economic development -- a theme proposed by
Vietnam and by many other countries of la Francophonie. "We want Hanoi's success
to be ours, and we will support the Vietnamese authorities in the search for
economic development projects, despite the limited resources available to la
Francophonie," said Mr. Boudria.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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