OAS Main Plenary




MADAME CHAIR, COLLEAGUES;

"THE PEOPLES OF THE AMERICAS HAVE A RIGHT TO DEMOCRACY AND THEIR GOVERNMENTS
HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROMOTE AND DEFEND IT." THIS SENTENCE FROM THE
INTER-AMERICAN DEMOCRATIC CHARTER REPRESENTS OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO
PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY, AND OUR WILL TO COOPERATE IN ENSURING THAT THESE
PRINCIPLES ARE UPHELD. IN CANADA, WE BELIEVE THAT THE DEMOCRATIC CHARTER
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME THE MAGNA CARTA OF OUR HEMISPHERE: A FOUNDATION
OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN THE AMERICAS.

HOWEVER, FOR THIS TO HAPPEN WE MUST BE PREPARED TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO CRISES
OF DEMOCRACY, AND TO USE THE CHARTER AS IT WAS INTENDED. INDEED, WE MUST
DO MORE TO PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT THE CHARTER ACROSS OUR SOCIETIES IN ORDER
TO REINFORCE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE, WHICH IS THE MAIN THEME OF THIS GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.


DÉJÀ, LES OBLIGATIONS DE LA CHARTE ONT AMENÉ DES ÉTATS MEMBRES À AGIR.
AINSI, LE NICARAGUA, S'EST RÉFÉRÉ À LA CHARTE EN SEPTEMBRE DERNIER POUR
SOUTENIR SA CAMPAGNE NATIONALE CONTRE LA CORRUPTION. CELA MARQUE UN PROGRÈS
IMPORTANT DANS LA VOLONTÉ DES ÉTATS MEMBRES D'UTILISER LES NOUVEAUX OUTILS
QU'ILS ONT CRÉÉS POUR PROMOUVOIR LA DÉMOCRATIE SUR LEUR PROPRE TERRITOIRE,
AINSI QUE DANS L'HÉMISPHÈRE.


IL NOUS RESTE CEPENDANT BEAUCOUP DE CHEMIN À PARCOURIR POUR RÉALISER LA
PROMESSE DE LA CHARTE. COMME VOUS LE SAVEZ, LE PREMIER MINISTRE DU CANADA
A PROPOSÉ LA TENUE, CETTE ANNÉE, D'UN « SOMMET EXTRAORDINAIRE DES AMÉRIQUES
» POUR EXAMINER LES DÉFIS QUE L'HÉMISPHÈRE DOIT MAINTENANT RELEVER.
LE PRÉSIDENT FOX A GRACIEUSEMENT OFFERT D'ACCUEILLIR CE SOMMET EN NOVEMBRE
PROCHAIN. NOUS SAVONS QU'IL EST URGENT DE PRODUIRE DES RÉSULTATS DANS LE
DOMAINE DE LA GOUVERNANCE DÉMOCRATIQUE. IL FAUT DONNER À NOS CITOYENS DES
RAISONS DE CROIRE EN LA CAPACITÉ DE LA DÉMOCRATIE À RÉSOUDRE LES PROBLÈMES
SOCIAUX ET ÉCONOMIQUES D'AUJOURD'HUI.

COMME LE SOMMET SERA LA PREMIÈRE RENCONTRE DES CHEFS D'ETAT ET DE
GOUVERNEMENT DEPUIS L'ADOPTION DE LA CHARTE, LE 11 SEPTEMBRE 2001, CEUX-CI
AURONT L'OCCASION DE RÉAFFIRMER LEUR ENGAGEMENT À L'ÉGARD DE LA CHARTE
ELLE-MÊME, ET DE DIRE ENCORE UNE FOIS AUX POPULATIONS DES AMERIQUES QUE LA
DÉMOCRATIE EST LE MEILLEUR ESPOIR POUR L'AVÈNEMENT DE SOCIÉTÉS STABLES ET
PROSPÈRES.


THIS IS WHY WE MUST SUPPORT MINISTER ALVEAR'S CALL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN
"AGENDA FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN THE AMERICAS", WHICH LEADERS COULD
ENDORSE AT THE SPECIAL SUMMIT. IN OUR VIEW, SUCH AN AGENDA SHOULD FOCUS ON
WAYS TO STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONS ESSENTIAL TO DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE.

THESE INCLUDE INDEPENDENT AND EFFECTIVE JUDICIAL AND ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS;
A PROFESSIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE; CREDIBLE ELECTORAL SYSTEMS; LEGISLATORS THAT
HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DEBATE AND IMPROVE LEGISLATION; A FREE AND RESPONSIBLE
MEDIA; CONSTRUCTIVE CONSULTATIONS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY; PROFESSIONAL POLICE
AND MILITARY SERVICES THAT RESPECT THE PRIMACY OF CIVILIAN AUTHORITY AND A
STRONG COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS THAT LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR THESE
INITIATIVES TO SUCCEED. WE ALSO NEED TO TACKLE SUCH HIGHLY COMPLEX AND
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES AS THAT OF POLITICAL PARTY CAMPAIGN FINANCING.


I ALSO URGE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER IN IMPLEMENTING THE MONTERREY CONSENSUS IN
OUR HEMISPHERE, IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE THE WIDER TRADE AND INVESTMENT FLOWS
THAT SERVE AS THE MAIN ENGINE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
THIS WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO ADDRESSING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN OUR
HEMISPHERE. WE MUST USE THE SPECIAL SUMMIT, ALONG WITH THE O.A.S. AND
DEVELOPMENT BANKS, TO GATHER NEW IDEAS ON THESE TOPICS.


TO DATE, CANADA HAS COMMITTED SOME CDN$440 MILLION TO ACTIVITIES SUPPORTING
THE QUEBEC CITY PLAN OF ACTION. IN LIGHT OF OUR BELIEF THAT EFFORTS
CANNOT SUCCEED WITHOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES, OUR COMMITMENTS INCLUDE
FUNDS FOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH MATCHES
DEVELOPMENT EXPERTISE OF ABORIGINAL CANADIANS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT
REQUIREMENTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE AMERICAS.


ONE CENTRAL AND DIFFICULT POINT MUST BE EMPHASIZED AT THIS JUNCTURE. AS
WE ALL KNOW, GLOBALIZATION IS BENEFITTING OUR PEOPLES IN DRAMATICALLY
UNEQUAL WAYS, AND THIS IS PRODUCING CONSIDERABLE STRAINS IN ALL OF OUR
COUNTRIES. THE SUMMIT PROCESS AND OUR PLAN OF ACTION OF QUEBEC CITY HAVE
GIVEN US SOME VALUABLE TOOLS TO ADDRESS THESE REALITIES, BUT WE MUST
CONTINUE PRESSING FOR CONCRETE POLICY OPTIONS TO ADDRESS ADVERSE EFFECTS OF
RECENT ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CHANGES.


I SHOULD ALSO EMPHASIZE THAT OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS AT REFORM MUST INCLUDE
NOT JUST A TOP-DOWN INSTITUTIONAL AND POLITICAL APPROACH, BUT EQUALLY
IMPORTANTLY, A BOTTOM-UP APPROACH WORKING WITH THOSE WHOM WE SEEK TO ASSIST,
AND WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS. CONSULTATION AND DIALOGUE, AS WELL
AS A STRONG COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS, ARE INDISPENSABLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF
OUR EFFORTS. DEMOCRATIC REFORM, LIKE DEMOCRACY ITSELF, MUST BE FOUNDED IN
THE INFORMED PARTICIPATION OF ALL ELEMENTS IN OUR SOCIETIES IF IT IS TO BE
LEGITIMATE, AND IN THE END, EFFECTIVE.


I CANNOT CLOSE MY REMARKS ON DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE, MADAME CHAIR, WITHOUT A
REFERENCE TO THE ISSUE OF CUBA, A COUNTRY OF OUR HEMISPHERE AND WHERE RECENT
EVENTS HAVE RAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING UNACCEPTABLE
PENALTIES MERELY FOR SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE BASIC FREEDOMS THAT WE ARE
DISCUSSING HERE AS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE AMERICAS.


I KNOW THAT MANY COLLEAGUES AROUND THIS TABLE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE OAS IS
THE APPROPRIATE FORUM TO DISCUSS CUBA. IN THAT RESPECT, I REFER TO THE
WORDS OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES AT THE CIVIL SOCIETY
DIALOGUE YESTERDAY, TO THE EFFECT THAT WE DO NEED TO FIND CONSTRUCTIVE,
POSITIVE WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ISSUE.


IN FACT, COLLEAGUES, WE DID OPEN THE DOOR TO THIS DISCUSSION LAST MONTH.
SURELY NOW, WHATEVER OUR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE APPROPRIATE SOLUTION
TO THIS LONG STANDING ISSUE, WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES IN THIS, THE ONLY
MULTILATERAL FORUM REPRESENTING THE DIVERSITY OF VIEWS OF THE AMERICAS ,TO
SEEK CONSTRUCTIVE WAYS TO BEGIN A PROCESS TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE AND BRING
THE BENEFITS OF OUR WORK ON DEMOCRACY TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE.


THANK YOU.