Mr. Speaker, I have the honour and pleasure to inform you that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has been selected from over 60 entries to receive the scroll of honour award from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, Habitat. This award was granted for mobilizing elected officials and staff from Canadian municipalities for the development of local communities and for providing support to sister municipalities in developing countries.
During the past ten years the FCM, in partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency, implemented international programs which have facilitated exchanges of municipal expertise between elected officials, staff and counsellors throughout the world from Canadian municipalities and their counterparts from Africa, Latin America, Asia and central Europe.
The presentation of the scroll of honour will be awarded in Bonn, Germany today and I am sure the House congratulates the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on achieving this outstanding award on behalf of Canadian municipal governments in this country.