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<p><strong>January 24, 2002 No. 11</strong></p>
<p>The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade will hold four public meetings across Canada to seek the advice
of Canadians on foreign policy issues relating to Africa. </p>
<p>The first meeting of the National Forum on Africa begins in Toronto on Friday, January 25, 2002, followed by meetings in
Montreal on February 8, Saint John, New Brunswick, on February 15 and Vancouver on February 25.</p>
<p>The Forum will stimulate public discussion on Africa as Canada leads the development of the G8 Action Plan for Africa, to
be adopted at the Kananaskis Summit in June 2002. The meetings will provide the federal government with policy
suggestions on economic and social issues, security, conflict prevention and governance.</p>
<p>More than 200 Canadians will take part in these meetings, including academics, non-governmental organizations,
parliamentarians, the business community and youth. International experts from Africa and the United Nations will also
participate.</p>
<p>The National Forum is a community-based event organized annually by the Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy
Development at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, in cooperation with local partners across
Canada. The goal of the National Forum is to contribute public advice on a theme that is current and useful to the
development of Canada's foreign policy. </p>
<p><strong>Media opportunities for the Toronto meeting are scheduled as follows:</strong></p>
<p><strong><u>Keynote speech</u></strong><u></u></p>
<p>By Francis Deng, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Internally Displaced Persons</p>
<p><strong>Date:</strong> Friday, January 25, 2002</p>
<p><strong>Time:</strong> 9:15 - 9:45 a.m.</p>
<p><strong>Location: </strong> Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facilities</p>
<p>Monk Centre for International Studies</p>
<p>University of Toronto</p>
<p>1 Devonshire Place</p>
<p>Toronto, Ontario</p>
<p><strong><u>Panellist presentations</u></strong></p>
<p><strong>Date:</strong> Friday, January 25, 2002</p>
<p><strong>Time:</strong> 9:45 - 11:15 a.m.</p>
<p><strong>Location:</strong> Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facilities</p>
<p><strong><u>Plenary session</u></strong></p>
<p><strong>Date:</strong> Friday, January 25, 2002</p>
<p><strong>Time:</strong> 3:30 - 4:10 p.m.</p>
<p><strong>Location:</strong> Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facilities</p>
<p>For more information, please contact:</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221042625/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</a></p>
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