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<title>MINISTER CODERRE TO PARTICIPATE IN 19TH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF LA FRANCOPHONIE</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong>December 17, 2003 <em>(9:00 a.m. EST)</em> No. 194</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>MINISTER CODERRE TO PARTICIPATE IN 19TH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF LA
FRANCOPHONIE</strong></font></p>
<p>The Minister responsible for La Francophonie, the Honourable Denis Coderre, will participate in the Ministerial
Conference of La Francophonie in Paris, France, on December 18 and 19. The Conference will bring together ministers
responsible for La Francophonie from all member states and governments of the organization. It will focus in large part on
preparing for the upcoming tenth Francophonie Summit in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on November 26 and 27, 2004. A
strategic framework will be adopted at the Summit to guide the activities of La Francophonie for the decade 2005-2015. </p>
<p>"This Conference will serve to further develop organizational programs dedicated to education, training and sustainable
development, priorities outlined in the New Partnership for Africa's Development," said Mr. Coderre. "Women and
children will be a major focus of this exercise." </p>
<p>Participants will adopt a multilateral Francophone cooperation program for 2004-05, centred on the Intergovernmental
Agency of La Francophonie. The Agency's five priority areas are linguistic and cultural diversity; peace, democracy and
justice; education, training and youth; development and community; and the integration of La Francophonie into the
information society. </p>
<p align="CENTER">- 30 -</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Sarah Bain</p>
<p>Office of the Minister responsible for La Francophonie</p>
<p>(613) 371-0504</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/20070221230330/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</a></p>
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