SPEECHES

NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS

BY

THE HONOURABLE DIANE MARLEAU,

MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION

AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR LA FRANCOPHONIE,

ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING CEREMONIES OF

THE FRANCOPHONE BUSINESS FORUM

Bathurst, New Brunswick

June 14, 1999

Let me extend a welcome to all, especially those of you who have come a long way to take part in the Francophone Business Forum (FBF) in this charming city of Bathurst. This seventh meeting of the FBF will doubtless be the most important one in its history, because it will mark the entry of la Francophonie in its modern version into the third millennium.

The survival and dynamism of the Francophone community will depend on how well it can adapt to the globalization of culture and trade. These two interdependent elements will make la Francophonie a vibrant world community and a focal point in the international system.

In this respect, the FBF can play an essential role, since it can help to build an area of Francophone economic co-operation that is consistent with the goal of the Hanoi Summit.

As it faces this task, la Francophonie is not without resources. Too often, we tend to minimize its business potential, but actually, la Francophonie:

• is a market of 400 million people;

• is an economic group whose gross domestic product totalled about $5 billion Canadian in 1997;

• for Canada, represented a volume of trade totalling nearly $18 billion Canadian in 1998, up approximately 7 percent from 1997.

Not counting the United States, which absorbs more than 80 percent of our exports, la Francophonie in 1998 was Canada's fifth trading partner, with 13 percent of the volume of trade, just below the Commonwealth.

La Francophonie is a somewhat disparate entity, but it is one that benefits Canada and its partners. It is also one that could produce more, especially in favour of la Francophonie's poorest countries.

At a time when, in terms of volume, official development aid (ODA) is giving way to private-sector capital, the Francophone business community must shoulder a greater share of the responsibility. ODA can no longer take the place of private-sector dynamism to promote economic progress.

But this potential cannot develop fully on the fringe of the regional and international trade liberalization trends. The issue for la Francophonie institutionally is one of giving the Francophone countries a place in the world trading system. Thus, it is important for la Francophonie to develop within the parameters set by such multilateral institutions as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

In this respect, the coming year will be crucial. The WTO has begun laying the groundwork for new multilateral trade negotiations. We must see that all countries, including the least developed, participate fully in this process. Active support for the Francophone business milieu will be of vital importance in this undertaking.

Looking toward the trade system of the future, we absolutely must adapt trade practices and national laws to the requirements of the world market. This is where la Francophonie can play an important role, in particular by promoting greater transparency in the management of public affairs. No state or business should try to attract risk capital without providing a predictable environment and minimum guarantees.

This requires increased accountability both from individuals and from organizations with a public mandate. Rigorous management of public funds, without waste and without corruption, is essential to economic progress. We must also support the development of the private sector and the informal sector, and find better ways of collecting taxes.

This means that civil society must participate more in the management of public affairs. You have a role to play in this; you must react. If you see practices that do not encourage healthy economic development, you must make them known. After all, as a member of civil society, you can make a difference, a difference that will have substantial political and economic benefits.

La Francophonie, which has many very vulnerable members, must show itself willing to participate in efforts already under way to allow these countries to enjoy the benefits of world economic growth.

The pursuit of liberalized trade and investment can only improve economic prospects, and promote better integration of the least-developed countries in the world economic system. Such progress could increase opportunities within the international Francophone community. The rest is up to you.

At the Monaco Conference last April, la Francophonie's ministers of the economy and ministers of finance agreed to a realistic, pragmatic approach to economic development emphasizing the complementarity of roles within la Francophonie.

We must use the available resources as effectively as possible and co-ordinate our efforts with those of other multilateral and bilateral providers of funds.

In Monaco, Canada also announced that it will contribute $700,000 to the creation of a fund to support the integration and full participation of the least-developed Francophone countries in the world economic system.

Other Canadian initiatives are helping to bring together the members of la Francophonie economically. I am thinking, for example, of the tariff preferences that we give to the countries of la Francophonie. These measures help their products to gain access to the Canadian market, thanks to our general preferential tariff.

There is also the debt-reduction initiative announced by Prime Minister Chrétien, which will benefit many Francophone countries that are unable to support their debt burden.

Thus, I feel that we are bringing together all of the ingredients required for the emergence of a solid community of Francophone business people. This is where the FBF comes in. Thanks to you, business people can share their experiences, create partnerships and expand the opportunities afforded by la Francophonie internationally.

After all, it is so much easier and more productive to talk about business without having to go through an interpreter.

With this in mind, for the Moncton Summit, I wish to place a challenge before you: Can you increase trade between Canada and la Francophonie by 10 percent? I am confident that you can.

I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to meet the business people from here and from the rest of Canada.

Thank you, and may you enjoy the rest of your session.