March 20, 2006

OTTAWA, Ontario
2006/1

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NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY

THE HONOURABLE JOSÉE VERNER,

MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND

MINISTER FOR LA FRANCOPHONIE AND OFFICIAL LANGUAGES,

AT THE CELEBRATION OF

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LA FRANCOPHONIE

I am happy to join you tonight to celebrate the International Day of La Francophonie and to express our pride in belonging to the great francophone family.

From Bouctouche to St. Boniface, through Quebec City, and from Sudbury to Yellowknife, Canada’s francophone communities are the hallmark of the diversity that characterizes Canadian culture and sets us apart within the community of nations.

As a Canadian and as Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, I am proud to be one of nine million citizens who can speak, sing, write, work and live in French.

The development of the French language in North America is a constant challenge. As a Québécoise and a Canadian, I am fully aware of this. So is the government I represent.

My colleagues and I recognize that the French fact is more than a vital component of our history and our heritage; it is also an indispensable asset for our future, culturally, socially and economically.

In this fast-changing world, where borders are more blurred every day and where exchanges between peoples are multiplying, francophone communities must work together to succeed. They must also innovate to build greater synergy among the dynamic forces that are Canada’s francophones. In this spirit, our government is committed to ensuring the sustainability of minority language communities.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has reiterated, on several occasions, how important the French fact is to him and to Canada. As he put it so well, “I have not learned French to become Canada’s Prime Minister. I have learned French because I have always been convinced that French is a precious heritage that all Canadians should share. It is also a beautiful language, the language of a great civilization.”

On this International Day of La Francophonie, it is this heritage and this rich language that we are so proudly celebrating.

It is our unwavering desire to perpetuate and enrich this heritage and this language that we are highlighting.

And it is our inherent affection for the extended family that is La Francophonie that we are expressing loudly and clearly.

La Francophonie consists of 175 million speakers of French on five continents, and over 700 million people within the International Organization of La Francophonie. This organization was created in Niamey, the Niger, on March 20, 1970. Today, it numbers 63 states and participating governments.

Within La Francophonie, Canada represents and advocates the values of all Canadians, whatever their language or culture.

The year 2005 was a productive year for La Francophonie, with UNESCO adopting the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.  

Moments ago, I had the pleasure of meeting with the ambassadors of Senegal, Tunisia, and the Niger to Canada. I will take this opportunity to highlight the success of the Fifth Games of La Francophonie in Niamey last December.

The year 2006 will be equally exciting.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Léopold Sédar Senghor, statesman, poet, great advocate of cultural diversity, and founding father of La Francophonie.  

In May 2006, in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada will host a Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie on conflict prevention and human security. I am pleased that Canada will be the venue for this conference, which confirms the political role of La Francophonie. I am happy that this conference will give the Franco-Manitoban community a unique opportunity to make itself better known internationally.

The year 2006 will also be marked by the Summit of Heads of State and Government in Bucharest, Romania. For the first time, the states and governments of the International Organization of La Francophonie will meet in an Eastern European country.

Canada has always been active at the summits of La Francophonie. In 2008, in Quebec City, Canada will host the 12th Summit of Heads of State and Government of La Francophonie. This event will coincide with the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s founding of Quebec City. It will give all of Canada’s francophone community an exceptional opportunity to show its vitality, enthusiasm and contribution to La Francophonie.

In closing, dear friends, I urge you to continue your commitment to La Francophonie. I want you to know I am proud of the vitality and enthusiasm of Canada’s francophone community and its influence internationally.

Long live Canada’s francophone community and La Francophonie!

Thank you.