moved:
That the House take note of the Summit of the Americas.
Mr. Speaker, in a little over three weeks, Canada will have the honour and privilege of hosting the third summit of the Americas.
It is an event of major importance to Canada and our hemisphere. It is entirely appropriate that the House take note.
The past twenty years have seen remarkable change in the Americas. Democracy and the growth of free markets have raised new hopes and opened up new possibilities.
Dialogue and co-operation among the democratically elected governments have intensified in every field of endeavour and in every sphere of common interest.
Canada has played an active role in supporting democratic transition and bringing out beneficial economic and social change. We are engaged in the Americas because it is the right thing to do and because it is in our interest to do so. Our future prosperity and stability are linked to our ability not just to recognize opportunities, but to act as a leader in this hemisphere.
Our economic relations with the hemisphere have expressed our overall successes. They have grown faster in the past 10 years than with any other region of the world.
Over 90% of our trading is with the Americas, including the United States. Its value has increased 170% in this period. But our relations are far from limited to trade.
Last year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our membership in the Organization of American States and hosted perhaps the most remarkable general assembly in OAS history. We are also working with other governments in the hemisphere across a range of sectoral interests that would have seemed unimaginable 20 years ago. Ministers in virtually every cabinet portfolio, not just foreign affairs and trade, meet regularly.
The government is strongly supportive of the contribution of legislators in furthering understanding and co-operation in the Americas. The inaugural meeting of the interparliamentary forum of the Americas, known as FIPA, was hosted by Canada's parliament earlier this month. Its recommendations across a wide range of interests and the constructive input we have received from civil society have contributed to the policy development process for the upcoming summit.
Preparations for the Quebec City summit are nearing completion. The summit implementation review group, the intergovernmental body developing a declaration and plan of action for the summit, is setting out a coherent and balanced agenda with three main themes: strengthening democracy, creating prosperity and realizing human potential.
We want to ensure that summit initiatives reflect the priorities of our hemisphere. Moreover, we are working with international and regional organizations, and with multilateral development banks, to get the necessary human and financial resources to turn our commitments into reality. This is fundamental for the credibility of the summit process.
I alluded to the major themes of the summit. I do not believe that anyone can question their importance or relevance.
The strength and unity of the hemisphere is based fundamentally on collective undertakings to consolidate democracy, protect human rights, promote the rule of law and enhance human security. A commitment to improving the quality of democracy is at the top of the summit agenda and will be further strengthened at Quebec City. The summit declaration should, and I have every confidence that it will, make democracy an explicit condition for participation in summits. Such a clear and vigorous statement would be an important outcome of the Quebec City summit.
The summit will also mandate increased hemispheric co-operation to strengthen democracy by supporting improved electoral processes and systems, an area where Canada has been making important contributions for a number of years. It will seek to rally support for international human rights instruments and for national institutions that promote and protect human rights within hemispheric countries.
Strong democracies must also be inclusive and put in place a forum for reasoned debates.
Canada has worked to ensure that the process leading to the summit in Quebec City is open and transparent. Our country has been a leader in terms of consulting with and informing its civil society, through open meetings of the OAS special committee on the management of summits, and in other circumstances.
As I said earlier, a commitment to democratic principles and institutions, and to human rights, is the main criterion to participate in the summits.
Governments in the hemisphere have expressed serious concerns about democracy in Cuba. It is this reason before any other that prevents Cuba from participating in the summits of the Americas. Let us be clear: it is the government of Cuba, not of Canada or the other summit countries, that is keeping Cuba from participating in the summit process. If Cuba wants a seat at the table, and we would hope that it would, it will need to demonstrate acceptance of democratic principles, including freedom of expression, political pluralism and international norms respecting human rights. It is Cuba's choice to make.
The issue of the criteria governing participation in the summit was raised regarding a number of other countries in the hemisphere.
The transition to democracy in the hemisphere is often a recent occurrence. Societies that are establishing or restoring democratic institutions often do so after years of authoritarian or military government.
There have been setbacks and progress has been uneven in some cases, but there has also been a continuing commitment to dialogue and to joint efforts to enhance democratic processes.
There is ample proof that the hemispheric community is actively and effectively engaged to enhance democratic processes. In particular, that engagement has been in defence of democratic institutions in Ecuador, Paraguay and Haiti. I would refer anyone with doubts on this score to the events last June in Windsor and the manner in which the OAS member states united to defend democracy in Peru. As a result, new national elections will be held there on April 8.
Commitments to democracy and prosperity go hand in hand with the determination to encourage all people to take part in the economic, political, social and cultural life of their country and their region.
Social initiatives at the summit will support education, improved health services, gender equality, participation and dialogue between governments and native peoples, as well as cultural diversity.
For example, the hemisphere will reaffirm its commitment to good health as a fundamental building block for political, economic and social stability. It will also carry forward commitments to improve access to and the quality of education. Canada has also taken the lead in promoting gender equality as part of the summit commitments.
The summit will promote partnerships between indigenous peoples and governments to advance co-operation among the hemisphere's indigenous peoples on matters of common interest, notably in education, health and economic development. I am pleased to welcome indigenous peoples from the Americas to Canada this week for the first indigenous summit of the Americas and to recognize the leadership of Canada's aboriginal communities in this important initiative.
Fundamentally, the human potential theme aims to empower individuals and provide an equal opportunity to realize their potential and contribute to and benefit from the societies in which they live and work.
The Minister for International Trade will deal with the issue of the Free Trade Area of the Americas.
The summit countries are concerned about reducing poverty, promoting equity, creating more opportunities for enterprise, sharing in the benefits of growth, managing migration and improving our collective ability to prepare for and mitigate natural disasters.
Let me conclude by describing the summit in these words.
It represents a step taken in co-operation with 34 different but equal partners to develop and implement a political, economic and social action plan that is consistent and balanced for the benefit of all residents of this hemisphere.
It is a vehicle for making this vision a reality and realizing the rich promise of the Americas.