Section I Messages

Ministers' Message

Canada's international trade is one of the principal sources of prosperity, jobs, economic growth and better living standards for Canadians. Our prosperity, national and individual, requires a peaceful and stable global environment. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade works at home and abroad to improve prosperity and strengthen security for Canadians and all peoples. We engage Canadians to reinforce awareness of the links between our foreign and domestic interests as well as Canadian values and culture.

All our activities are focused on Canadians–improving their living standards, creating jobs and economic growth, promoting national and human security, strengthening national unity, providing consular services to those travelling or living abroad, increasing citizen engagement, and expanding opportunities for youth, Aboriginal peoples and women. The Department similarly promotes Canadian culture and studies abroad as a means to give expression to our values and interests to create a better understanding of the Canadian approach to international issues. Sometimes referred to as the "third pillar" of Canadian foreign policy, these activities strengthen culture at home by helping to open up international markets for our artists and contribute to a sense of national unity.

In pursuing Canada's interests abroad, our principal challenge is to build on opportunities for addressing emerging and traditional challenges and other risks to global security. To meet these growing challenges and opportunities, Canada contributes to stronger global management. More than ever, our prosperity and security are founded on a secure and stable rules-based international system. This demands an expanded role by the Department in managing that system, particularly through the Group of Eight Industrialized Countries (G-8), the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

During Canada's two-year term on the UN Security Council, beginning January 1, 1999, we will promote our interests in safeguarding international peace and security. Canada's successful election to the Security Council acknowledges our capabilities and leadership on initiatives such as the anti-personnel landmine ban, the International Criminal Court, and our extensive history of participation in UN peacekeeping operations. Among our main objectives during Canada's term is the integration of human security concerns, conflict prevention, peace building and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the work of the Council. We are also working to make the Security Council more effective, transparent and responsive to the legitimate views of all UN member states.

Canada's diplomats continue to promote enhanced global cooperation by addressing challenges to human security from transnational threats such as illicit drugs, terrorism, environmental problems, human rights abuses and weapons proliferation, particularly small arms. The Ottawa Convention against anti-personnel landmines, reached as a result of an unprecedented partnership between civil society and governments, will be codified in international law and implemented from March 1999. The Department is urging early implementation of the 1998 agreement to establish an International Criminal Court to address the most serious breaches of humanitarian law. We are cooperating with Norway and other like-minded countries to control the proliferation of military small arms and light weapons. Options for global action against the use of child labour and child soldiers are also being explored with like-minded partners.

To protect Canada's national security, we continue to promote non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament for weapons of mass destruction and missiles. Our efforts against proliferation of nuclear weapons are aimed at maintaining and strengthening a stable global framework with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as its central element. To reinforce stability in Europe and the broader transatlantic community, Canada supports enlargement of NATO and works to restore peace in Bosnia through participation in the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR), our membership of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council and our extensive reconstruction program. We will continue these objectives at the NATO Washington Summit in April 1999.

Canada's economic success is tied to our trade performance–in fact, exports represent 40 percent of our GDP. The Department continues to contribute to employment and economic growth for Canadians by improving access to world markets and promoting international trade and investment for Canadian firms. We are working to expand Canada's trade culture by helping more Canadian companies to export, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and Canadian youth, Aboriginal and women entrepreneurs. The Team Canada Inc initiative now links 20 federal organizations in a partnership to help Canadian companies access our services. This results in greater federal-provincial and business association partnering in support of Canadian firms already active or becoming active abroad.

With economic turbulence in key emerging markets such as Asia and Latin America, the role of the Department's Trade Commissioner Service is crucial in enhancing the competitiveness and success of Canadian exporters over the long term. Our embassies and consulates around the world are working hard to ensure that the engines of commerce bring about a "win-win" resumption of global economic growth and sustained Canadian prosperity. This around-the-world presence offers firms, especially SMEs, the competitive edge they need to position themselves for a resumption of economic growth abroad.

Having listened to Canadian concerns, we are making a concerted effort to renew the Trade Commissioner Service through the recently launched "Expand your Horizons" initiative. The core services offered abroad have been clearly defined and published together with delivery standards. The business community provides client satisfaction feedback which will be used to continuously improve service delivery at posts abroad and facilitate more transparent, accountability-based reporting on needs, impact and outcomes.

The focus of our efforts to maintain and improve access for Canadian exports is the rules-based trading system embodied in the WTO, whose agenda envisages negotiations on agriculture, services and a wide-range of other issues by 2000. We are consulting closely with Canadians–the business community, provinces and civil society–to identify Canadian interests and negotiating objectives. Canada is striving for increased transparency in the work of the WTO, and to ensure that the benefits of open and secure markets are better communicated to all Canadians.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of NAFTA, a rules-based regime that has triggered impressive growth in Canadian exports to the world's top market. In addition, we are advancing Canadian trade and investment interests in the Americas, where our two-way trade has doubled in the last five years while our investment has tripled. We are building on the successful launch of negotiations toward a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and we remain at the forefront of the negotiations, which Canada is chairing until October 1999. This will culminate in a meeting of FTAA Trade Ministers, which Canada will host in Toronto in November, following a meeting of the Americas Business Forum in October. Additionally, we are engaged in negotiations for a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) countries that will result in improved access to the European market.

We are working to restore global economic stability and confidence through multilateral and bilateral cooperation. Canada will work within the accelerated G-8 process to strengthen the international financial architecture to help prevent and better manage financial crises. We are particularly concerned with the social impacts of the global financial situation and its effects on the most vulnerable. Canada will join our major economic partners at the G-8 Summit in Koln in June 1999, to review progress and consider needs for other initiatives in areas such as regulation, international standards, sustainable exchange rate regimes and strengthening the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Hon. Sergio Marchi
Minister for International Trade

Hon. Lloyd Axworthy
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Management Representation

A Report on Plans and Priorities 1999—2000

We submit, for tabling in Parliament, the 1999—2000 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

To the best of our knowledge, the information in this report:

• accurately portrays the Department's mandate, plans, priorities, strategies, and expected key results of the organization;
  
  
• is consistent with the disclosure principles contained in the Guidelines for Preparing a Report on Plans and Priorities;
  
  
• is comprehensive and accurate; and
  
  
• is based on sound underlying departmental information and management systems.

We are satisfied as to the quality assurance processes and procedures used for the RPP's production.

The Planning, Reporting and Accountability Structure (PRAS) on which this document is based has been approved by Treasury Board Ministers and is the basis for accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities provided.

Robert G. Wright
Deputy Minister for International Trade
February 17, 1999

Donald W. Campbell
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
February 17, 1999