Mr. Speaker, in June 1998, Canada hosted the first international meeting of national ministers responsible for culture. At that time, the international network on cultural policy was created.
After a year of existence, the Network has a membership of some forty representatives from a wide diversity of countries, such as France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Senegal, Barbados, Mexico and the Philippines.
The second informal meeting of the international network on cultural policy was held last month in Oaxaca, Mexico. The purpose of this meeting was to ensure the viability of the network as a dynamic international forum for issues related to cultural policy.
The ministers of culture of Quebec and Newfoundland were members of the Canadian delegation to Oaxaca, and their presence enriched our participation, as well as the discussions in general.
Canada is pleased to provide the network with a permanent liaison office which will follow up on the Bureau's activities.