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<html> <head> <meta name="generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 10"> <meta http-equiv="content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <style> p { margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1px } body { font-family: "Arial", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal } </style> </head> <body> May 13, 2006 ST. BONIFACE, Manitoba 2006/5 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER AND MINISTER OF THE ATLANTIC CANADA OPPORTUNITIES AGENCY PETER MACKAY AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ST. BONIFACE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON CONFLICT  PREVENTION AND HUMAN SECURITY It is now my turn to welcome you to St. Boniface. Canada, through its government, would above all like to confirm its desire to play a key role within La Francophonie. La Francophonie is a living and constantly evolving institution. This is because it is developing under the guidance of a Secretary-General who is both wise and skilled. We have come a long way with him at the helm. The International Organization of La Francophonie’s current organizational reform is proof of this. We are convinced that the Organization will emerge from this reform stronger, more credible and even more relevant. Canada also supports what has been called La Francophonie’s shift toward politics. This shift simply means that La Francophonie has become a key player on the international stage. The St. Boniface conference is one of the tangible results of this. Canada has always been a proponent of multilateralism in political, trade and security matters. But above all, we are proponents of multilateralism that favours concrete results over processes. It is from this viewpoint that we consider our participation in the multilateral forums of which we are a member; it is this hope that we place in the conference that is beginning here today. Once we have left St. Boniface, it is the outcomes that will prove how serious our intentions are. Our program over the next two days shows that La Francophonie has reached a level of maturity that makes it an organization that can be relied upon. The international security situation is far from reassuring. In addition to traditional concerns such as nuclear proliferation, new threats to peace have emerged. These require new conflict prevention approaches, methods and skills. The new institutions created in the wake of the UN World Summit in September 2005, such as the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council, need the joint support of La Francophonie’s member countries to achieve their objectives. The examples of Haiti and Burundi show that re-establishing peace in a conflict zone is only a first step. They also show that reconstruction and peacebuilding are at the heart of sustainable security and development. It is up to us, the foreign ministers and other dignitaries around this table, to create the conditions required for lasting peace. This is also true for Afghanistan, which I visited for two days this week. The trip allowed me to see first-hand Canada’s civilian and military contribution to the international effort to rebuild Afghanistan. My discussions with our partners, the Afghans, and UN and international representatives confirmed how much Canada’s key role in this multinational effort is appreciated. I am convinced that Canada is making the right choice. Our joint efforts are helping to create a secure environment while governance institutions are being set up—a new Parliament, a professional army and police force, a new central bank, and a new legal system. The challenges are huge, because creating and strengthening institutions takes a lot of time. Canada will continue to build a foundation for long-term prosperity and stability in Afghanistan. In an era of instant communication, nothing replaces joint efforts to promote conflict prevention and peace. We have finalized mechanisms such as the Kimberley Process for diamonds. As La Francophonie, we are a formidable instrument of influence. We must improve our ability to use the leverage that we have. A large number of new phenomena require us to cooperate and, perhaps, carry out joint action. That is what I am inviting us to do today. The two themes we are going to study—conflict prevention and human security—call for concrete results. We do not need to define the concept of human security in order to fight for the protection of civilians in conflict zones. There are refugees and displaced persons, women and children who are victims of conflict, child soldiers, and victims of anti-personnel mines to remind us of the human face of insecurity. We have been told by civil society representatives, who met in Paris on March 30 in preparation for this conference, and we see it every day in the media: despite the number of times we have said “never again,” the genocides, the war crimes and the crimes against humanity still exist, including in the francophone world. What can La Francophonie do when faced with a task of this magnitude? First, support the efforts that are currently being pursued at the United Nations and in the other multilateral forums. La Francophonie can monitor and support the implementation of its members’ commitments in fields related to conflict prevention and human security. Finally, it can and must become a leader in these areas, both in terms of action and thought. To do this, it has at its disposal a series of standards, such as those of Bamako and Ouagadougou. It also has operating agencies and extensive networks. Because its members are affected by violent conflicts, La Francophonie must be on the leading edge and must not lag behind the international community. The cornerstone of true commitment is the political will of the leaders. And that is why we are gathered here today—to confirm this commitment and this willingness, and to translate them into results. I hope that this conference will be as successful as the victims of conflict deserve, and I am greatly looking forward to the outcomes of our discussions. Thank you. </body> </html>

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Last Updated: 2006-10-30	Top of Page	Important Notices