Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
Address to the National Assembly of Mali
Bamako, Mali, Thursday, November 23, 2006
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Good morning and thank you for the honour you do me in allowing me the opportunity to speak to the National Assembly of Mali.
I am especially touched knowing that Nelson Mandela is the only other head of State having been given the privilege of addressing this august assembly.
Nelson Mandela so eloquently wrote: “I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom.” Even while in prison, even while in chains, Nelson Mandela never stopped being a free man, free of any desire to oppress another human being. In just a few words, this great dreamer has captured the very essence of any democracy.
And is this chamber not the very heart and soul of democracy in Mali?
It is here that the rich, courageous and diverse voice of the Malian people can be heard loud and clear.
It is here that ideas full of hope for so many women, children and men are expressed freely.
Ideas such as those that you shared with such passion, Excellency, about your vision for Mali.
The vision [translation] “of a country reconciled with itself, united and democratic, proudly rooted in its rich, ancient culture, that of a society that is physically and morally sound, on good terms with its neighbours, a productive and inclusive society, resolutely turned toward progress and peace, open to Africa and the world.”
Your words, Excellency, are a source of inspiration, not just for your country but for the entire continent.
The values you have identified hold the key to the growing ties between Mali and Canada. For both of our countries, peacekeeping, tolerance, respect for the rights and freedoms of women and men, and promoting a state of law are an integral part of the democratic impulse that we support and defend wholeheartedly.
During this visit, I simply cannot express often enough the friendship that Canadians have for the people of Mali.
I will continue to reaffirm our desire to stand beside you in a spirit of solidarity and co-operation, through acts of fellowship that reinforce and enrich our relations.
I have come to Mali to listen to a people whose roots run deep, an industrious and disciplined people, a people rich in the cultures of some twenty different ethnicities that have shaped the history of Africa and continue to make an invaluable contribution to the heritage of humanity.
And never before have I heard the story of Africa told so poignantly than in the film Bamako, by filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, presented and acclaimed just a few weeks ago in Canada, at the Toronto Film Festival.
Canada is watching Mali’s progress closely.
The historic events of March 26, 1991, set you on the road to democracy and gave Malians a reason to hope once again.
And now, fifteen years later, Mali is in the vanguard of democratic development and the promotion of human rights and freedoms in Africa.
Mali’s transformation has captured the world’s attention. A model for others to follow. An inspiration.
It is with great admiration that Canada has witnessed the implementation of several successful initiatives in Mali. Ongoing justice reform is moving forward. The creation of an independent office of the auditor general shows beyond all doubt your commitment to foster transparency and probity in the conduct of government affairs.
And Canada applauds Mali’s remarkable efforts to ensure better governance.
Of course, there are still many serious challenges to face, but your clear desire to remain focused on the road ahead and to continue striving for even greater freedoms and justice is to be commended.
Canada will continue to help you in the areas of education, health, and agriculture and in your efforts to put an end to corruption.
I am especially delighted to be visiting your country at a time when Canada has increased its involvement in creating an even better Malian society.
Canada considers Mali an exemplary development partner. And we are focused on a decentralized approach. Since this summer, the Director of Co‑operation has been based in Bamako, not in Canada, as was the case previously.
Our intent is to foster closer ties with our partners so that we might gain a better understanding of the realities, challenges and solutions that are meaningful to the people of Mali.
Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, spoke of the importance of [translation] “finding African solutions to the problems facing the Continent.” Canada shares this view entirely.
The creation just a few years ago of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development speaks to the determination of Africans everywhere to take responsibility for their own development.
Canada wholeheartedly supports this initiative. As it does the peer review process, which requires the input of civil society and the private and public sectors to evaluate governance performance.
Twenty-five countries have agreed to participate, including Mali. This decision is in itself irrefutable proof of your commitment to your people.
Our partnership extends to multilateral institutions as well. Six years ago, Mali hosted an international symposium that breathed new life into La Francophonie.
It was at the end of that gathering that the Bamako Declaration on Democracy, Good Governance and Human Rights was adopted, solidifying our common will to promote the democratization process in the French-speaking world.
And given our shared linguistic heritage, I would like to extend to you an invitation. On July 3, 2008, Canada will be celebrating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City, the cradle of French civilization in North America and a UNESCO world heritage site.
We would love for every member of the large family of French-speaking countries to join us in marking this turning point in the history of Canada and the Americas.
Members of the National Assembly, Mali and Canada are also elected members of the new United Nations’ Human Rights Council. And please make no mistake—that includes the rights of both men and women.
This is an issue that is dear to my heart.
I am committed, Canada is committed, to ensuring that girls and women have access to the most basic rights: the right to health, to education, to respect for their physical integrity and dignity. And to ensuring that they have access to all sectors of society, including policy-making positions.
The voice of women counts. Give women the means to participate fully in city life and you will see a drop in illiteracy, poverty, hunger.
In northern countries as in those in the South, women never lose sight of the need to put a human face on humanity.
How can there be good governance without the belief in equality between men and women?
I know that a few years ago, Malians developed a Family Code that calls for the full recognition of the rights of women.
A society cannot be built on exclusion, and I congratulate you on having chosen openness and equality. You can count on Canada’s support in this endeavour.
But above all, I want to acknowledge as a sign of hope the Government of Mali’s initiative to hold in Bamako last February, with Canada’s help and support, an important conference on female genital mutilation, the consequences of which for the health and lives of girls and women are devastating.
I applaud the participation of the First Lady of Mali, Mrs. Touré Lobbo Traoré, who inaugurated the conference.
And I applaud the commitment of every member of Malian society who is questioning these practices and working to implement the Maputo Protocol.
This protocol, in effect since November 29, 2005, is truly a charter of the rights of African women. It clearly states that the practice of female genital mutilation is a violation of basic human rights.
Canada encourages Mali’s strategies to dissuade, to educate, to raise awareness, and hopes as you do that one day soon, Malian girls will never again be subjected to this torture.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am eager to begin meeting your fellow citizens, to hear their concerns, their aspirations, and to learn all that they have accomplished.
I will also be paying particular attention, as I do in Canada, to the children and young people.
And I am anxious to share with Canadians all that I will learn from the women and men of Mali, to tell them of the experience of a heritage rich in irreplaceable cultures, to fuel their desire to dig even deeper into their discovery of these cultures.
For as Malian writer Diarra Oumou Armand Sangaré said, [translation] “the more cultures there are, the more diverse the world, the greater desire to discover. If there were but one culture, no one would think to move closer to anyone else.”
Thank you sincerely for the welcome you have extended to me.
