Canada
Hosts the Americas
Remarks by the Hon. David Kilgour, MP for
Edmonton Southeast
and Secretary of State for Africa and Latin
America
To the Canadian Council for the Americas,
Calgary, Alberta March 7, 2001
I welcome
the opportunity to share with you some thoughts
on Canada's place in this world of breathtaking
change. In the information age, Canadians
are embracing a new world of unparalleled
opportunity. We no longer face constraints
we once did -ones imposed by borders or
by the boundaries of distance. Advances
in technology have helped forge closer ties
between nations worldwide; nowhere is this
in greater evidence than in our relationship
with our hemispheric neighbours.
Canada is
uniquely positioned to succeed in this emerging
hemispheric community, which the Prime Minister
calls "una gran familia" - one
big extended family.
Canadians
are highly regarded throughout the world
for our unwavering commitment to democracy,
fairness, the rule of law and respect for
human rights. We've long reached out to
nations in need, working to advance their
social and economic aspirations, and doing
our part to help build better democratic
institutions.
2001 Summit
of the Americas
Some say
that the 2001 Summit of the Americas next
month in Quebec City will be the most important
meeting ever to occur on Canadian soil.
Certainly, it will be the highest level
forum we have had for discussion, decision
making and action on critical issues affecting
the hemisphere. It's a gathering of the
34 democratically elected leaders of governments
from North, Central and South America and
the Caribbean. Their purpose in coming together
is to exchange ideas, with particular emphasis
on strengthening hemispheric co-operation
in the areas of democracy, prosperity and
the realization of human potential.
It is a special
time for Canada and for the Americas. The
flourishing of democracy and the growth
of free markets have played a vital role
in transforming many people's lives. Canada
has already assumed a strong leadership
role in helping to foster this change; we
continue to strengthen our relations with
our hemispheric partners. Our futures are
directly linked geographically, economically
and politically. Together we face the challenge
of building a more prosperous, secure and
free future for all residents of the Americas.
As we lead
up to the April meeting in Quebec, Canada's
role in the Americas rests on a decade long
foundation of engagement and successes:
We first
joined the Organization of American States
in 1990.
We will soon
celebrate the seventh anniversary of the
signing of the North American Free Trade
Agreement [NAFTA].
The Canada/Chile
Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1997.
In 1998,
the Prime Minister led two Team Canada trade
missions to Latin America, the largest such
undertaking ever mounted by the Government
of Canada.
Canada hosted
the Pan-American Games in the summer of
1999.
We completed
our term as chair of the initial phase of
the Free Trade Area of the Americas [FTAA]
by hosting the Trade Ministerial of the
Americas in the fall of 1999.
Canada most
recently played host to the Organization
of American States in June 2000 in Windsor.
Prosperity
Lifts Many Boats
Why is the
2001 Summit of the Americas so important?
And why invest so much time and energy to
forge this hemispheric partnership? As the
second largest economy in the hemisphere,
we have a vested interest in expanding our
trade and investment opportunities throughout
the Americas. Fully one third of Canadian
jobs are tied to international trade. The
economies of 34 nations from North, Central
and South America and the Caribbean represent
800 million people and more than one third
of all the goods and services produced on
the planet. The leaders' meeting at the
Summit will be working toward an agreement
that will create the world's largest free
trade zone, with a combined gross domestic
product of US$12 trillion. Almost one half
of everything we produce in Canada is destined
for export. Fully 92 percent of that is
exported to our partners represented around
the Summit table in Quebec City in April.
In essence, the countries of the Americas
aren't just neighbours to the south. They
are our most important customers. Our relationship
with them has a direct impact on our economic
security and the standard of living of every
man, woman and child in Canada.
Our commitment
to an FTAA is fuelled by our collective
ability to create prosperity throughout
the hemisphere and focus on ways to pursue
a more equitable distribution of wealth
in the Americas. But no such agreement can
be based purely on trade statistics and
economic forecasts. The FTAA is aimed at
creating a framework of straightforward
and fair trade rules and regulations that
everyone will follow.
Trade is
first and always about people - people being
rewarded for their efforts, finding markets
for their products, and being presented
with a real opportunity to build a better
future for themselves and their families.
Simply put, liberalized trade leads to important
social as well as economic gains. It speaks
to our resolve to throw open social and
economic doors kept closed to too many for
too long. Its effect is to reduce poverty
and enhance the quality of people's lives.
The bottom line is inclusiveness the development
of a hemispheric community in which all
residents have the opportunity and means
to prosper. Fair and free trade opens the
door and helps us along the way toward protecting
the rights of employees, protecting the
environment, enhancing corporate social
responsibility, and raising economic, social
and democratic standards throughout the
Americas.
Only a few
weeks ago, we had Tony Blair, the Labour
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, telling
Canadian parliamentarians that we should
embrace free trade vigorously because it
is good for both so- called "developing"
countries and industrialized ones. You might
be interested to know that at the unanimous
request of their governments, Canada is
currently negotiating free trade agreements
with most Central American and Caribbean
countries (some in groups and some separately).
We have a
choice. We can either position ourselves
at the forefront of this tidal wave of change
or allow ourselves to be swept along, powerless
in its wake. This doesn't mean these issues
will be resolved all at once; nor does it
mean progress comes without bumps on the
road. We needn't fear globalization, but
nor should we be blinded by its allure.
Much work has preceded the Summit and even
more will remain to be done when the meeting
is over. But it does mean that for three
days in Quebec City in April, the Summit
of the Americas will command the full, undivided
attention of our leaders.
Strengthening
Democracy
We believe
that openness and transparency are vital
to building public acceptance and legitimacy
for the government's undertakings. Canadians
expect no less. The Government of Canada
has made public its proposal for an FTAA.
What's more, the final results of FTAA negotiations
will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny
and public debate. The process of negotiating
is by definition complex and necessitates
a measure of freedom to explore a range
of options. Without compromising the process,
we've elected to share with Canadians our
negotiating position, and we're encouraging
other governments to do the same.
In preparing
for the Summit, we've engaged civil society
organizations, both nationally and throughout
the hemisphere, and promoted consultations
with groups committed to joining us in building
for the future. Over the years, we've consistently
argued for a larger role for civil society
members in the Organization of American
States [OAS]. Canada's leadership in developing
guidelines to enable civil society participation
eventually resulted in the creation of an
OAS committee aimed at soliciting greater
civil society participation. We aim to continue
to foster dialogue of this sort throughout
the Americas.
Democracy
isn't an abstract concept; nor is it a final
destination. It's a journey that we've embarked
on together - one that unites us in our
commitment to continually improve the lives
of our people. A commitment to democracy,
human rights and the rule of law is central
to what Canada hopes to achieve at this
Summit. Canadians have a good record in
this regard. We're well positioned to help
others forge effective institutional frameworks
and human rights institutions of their own.
These efforts can go a long way toward enhancing
the accessibility, transparency and accountability
of democracies throughout the region.
Realizing
Human Potential
Progress
in the Americas relies on its most valuable
resource - its people. When we speak of
"realizing human potential," we're
talking about the need to provide men, women
and children with the necessary tools to
achieve social, economic and political expression.
Ultimately, priorities like health, education
and skills development are vital investments.
But this begs the question: Who's in charge?
Is it the role of government to actively
lead business toward responsible community-minded
citizenship? Or is it the responsibility
of business? We believe businesses and government
must join forces in a co-operative effort
to ensure that a strong culture of corporate
social responsibility takes root throughout
the Americas - one that acknowledges the
fact that playing an active, responsible
part in community life is as vital to the
bottom line for business in 2001 as is customer
satisfaction, operating efficiency and product
quality control. In other words, corporate
social responsibility is about business
taking an active interest in the communities
in which they operate, grow and prosper,
not out of altruism, but because it makes
good business sense to do so.
Connectivity
Equals Opportunity
In a world
marked by technological innovation and globalized
trade, relationships between nations that
share common interests are becoming increasingly
important. This is particularly true of
the Americas. Canada's economic and trade
relations within the hemisphere have grown
faster over the last 10 years than in any
other region. Our trade in South America
alone has soared more than 200 percent (in
1990 two-way trade was $7.3 billion, and
in 2000 it was $20.6 billion) during this
period, compared to 60 percent in Europe,
and 66 percent in Asia. Mexico is Canada's
second largest export market in the Americas,
after the United States, and Brazil is third.
Brazil is also Canada's largest trading
partner in South America. In terms of Canadian
foreign direct investment, South American
countries have become increasingly important
destinations, with Chile, Brazil and Argentina
being significant recipients.
Canadian
business from all industrial sectors is
capitalizing on opportunities throughout
Latin America, and businesses from western
Canada continue to play a pivotal role in
expanding this relationship. Alberta's key
exports to the region include wheat, bovine
animals and meat, sulphur, rapeseed, electrical
apparatus, coal, and aircraft parts. In
2000, Alberta ranked third among provinces
in exports of goods and services to Latin
America and the Caribbean, with exports
of just over $1 billion in goods and services.
This represented a 39 percent increase from
1999, when exports were $726 million. Two-way
trade between Alberta and the region was
$1.5 billion in 2000.
The province's
exports are not restricted to the sectors
mentioned above. Increasingly, Alberta companies
are finding significant opportunities in
oil and gas exploration and services, livestock
and genetics, fertilizers, herbicides and
pesticides, telecommunications equipment
and services, urban transit systems and
environmental equipment and services. A
number of Alberta companies have successfully
undertaken business in Latin America. For
example, Canadian Hunter Exploration Ltd.
is very active in oil exploration in the
Neuquen Basin in Argentina.
Other Alberta
companies active in Latin America include
Alberta Energy Company, which is active
in exploration and production in Peru, Ecuador,
Colombia and Brazil. Nexen has concessions
in Colombia, and Precision Drilling and
Propak Systems are active throughout the
region.
It should
be noted that with significantly improved
market access provided by the 1997 Canada/Chile
Free Trade Agreement, Canada's two-way trade
with Chile has grown significantly, from
$357 million in 1992 to over a billion dollars
in 2000. Canadian exports to Chile of wheat,
pulp and paper, machinery, mining, telecommunications
equipment, automotive parts, iron and steel
products increased several hundred percent.
There continue to be major areas of opportunity
in information technologies, telecommunications,
construction and building products, mining
equipment, environmental equipment and services,
transportation infrastructure and plastics.
The world
in which we live is being radically transformed
by information and communications technology,
and its expansion into every corner of the
globe is having a profound impact on all
of our lives. Our goal is to help create
conditions that lead to better access to
new technologies that will in turn establish
new connections throughout the hemisphere.
Connectivity is really about bringing us
closer together, or eliminating geography.
We're witnessing a networking revolution
- a transition from an industrial to a knowledge-based
economy. By reducing barriers and distances,
connectivity is creating new opportunities.
In the end, being better connected to one
another means being empowered to make choices
that ultimately contribute to our quality
of life.
Conclusion
Some years
ago, Dr. Pat McGeer, a former British Columbia
MLA, said, "All through time, there
have been those who have erected bastions
to secure and protect what they have gained.
Europe is studded with these curiosities
of the past. But history has never been
made by those who erected bastions and sheltered
behind them. Rather it has been made by
adventurers who scorned protection in order
to explore and open up new territories.
Canada was founded and developed by such
adventurers.'' He was right.
What's required
here is to embrace a concept; one that goes
beyond Canada's borders. It speaks to an
emerging world wherein no one among us can
afford to be isolated. It's a notion that
requires commitment to move forward together,
paving the way toward a new era of social
and economic co-operation and prosperity.
I invite
each of you to make your voice heard as
the 2001 Summit of the Americas approaches.
The decisions made by today's leaders will
have a real and lasting impact not only
on our future, but also on our children's
future. I'm encouraged by what I see: Canadians
in every region poised to take full advantage
of the opportunities that this new connected
hemisphere brings.
Thank you.
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