14 June 2013
Paris, France
I Sustainable Growth and Development
- Canada-France Action Plan (“CFAP”) on competitiveness, innovation, trade and investment.
Continue the implementation of the 2012-2013 Action Plan. Adopt the 2014-2015 CFAP at the 18th Canada-France economic meeting in 2014, with priority given to the following components:
Assist businesses in taking full advantage of the benefits of the Canada-France bilateral trade relationship. Develop supporting measures, based on specific sectoral needs and including regular information-sharing with the private sector. The measures are to be agreed by economic sections of the respective Canadian and French embassies, and by the Trade Commissioner Service and UbiFrance.
Support Canadian and French companies in the areas of business development, market access and promotion of cross-investment, by encouraging cooperation among relevant agencies. The Trade Commissioner Service and the Invest in France Agency will consult and agree on implementing action plans.
Strengthen cooperation in competitiveness, innovation, and science and technology, including targeted measures by the Bilateral Working Group on Innovation and Science and Technology, and pursue implementation of the March 2013 Canada-France Action Plan in the fields of science and technology, innovation and entrepreneurship 2013-2015. Support competitiveness clusters and “Centres of Excellence” task forces.
- Scientific, regulatory, industrial and technological co-operation in the area of the environment, the fight against climate change and the dismantling of nuclear installations.
Support the development of new scientific and industrial partnerships in the areas of green technology and clean energy. Agree on a new Framework Agreement between the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission and the National Research Council Canada.
Intensify exchanges favouring the protection of biodiversity, specifically as it relates to shared migratory bird species and protected marine areas.
Enhance the bilateral dialogue on climate change and ways to reduce greenhouse gases, including cooperation to achieve an ambitious international climate change agreement, in 2015, that includes all, with a view to doing our part to limit effectively the increase in global temperature to 2ºC compared to pre-industrial levels, consistent with science.
Exchange information about public policies on mitigation and adaptation and practical means to encourage civil society and private sector involvement in effective actions on climate change.
Exchange best practices and develop scientific and industry co-operation on nuclear energy, including as it relates to the dismantling of installations.
Identify and encourage the development of scientific co-operation projects to support the region’s economic development.
Support safer navigation in the context of a proposed polar code for the Arctic by the International Maritime Organization.
Support broader cultural exchanges.
Work with the appropriate authorities to help to repatriate Inuit bones from French museum collections to Canada.
- Conventions regarding individuals and businesses
Implement the Protocol amending our Income Tax Convention to update the provision on exchange of information and to include New Caledonia.
Explore whether other potential changes might be made to the Convention to further remove tax barriers to trade and investment.
Ensure the implementation of the revised March 2013 Social Security agreement. Evaluate the potential for provincial-level agreements in this area.
- Cooperation in the management of natural resources
Modernize the procès-verbal implementing the Canada-France fisheries agreement.
Work towards the entry into force of the agreement relating to the exploration and exploitation of transboundary hydrocarbon fields.
II Stability, International Security and Defence
- High-level foreign policy dialogue between Canada and France
Deepen existing co-operation, especially in the area of human rights, and take full advantage of our co-operation in the G8, the G20 and the United Nations.
Continue to enhance the close Canada-France relationship within La Francophonie.
Continue close bilateral collaboration on regional crisis management.
Establish a new high level dialogue based on regular meetings between ministers of Foreign Affairs.
Renew the “2+2” (Foreign Affairs and Defence) meetings.
Continue dialogue on diplomacy of the future, policy planning, development assistance, as well as consultations on Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
Renew the diplomatic exchange program.
- Strategic dialogue on defence
Further strengthen high-level defence dialogue between our ministers of Defence, as well as between our chiefs of Defence and defence policy directors. Further strengthen co-operation focusing on the following:
- At NATO, work more closely together to advance common goals on the Alliance’s transformation and reform agendas.
- Increase strategic and operational dialogue among all armed services, revitalize the French-Canadian Military Co-operation Committee (FCMCC) and continue cooperation in capability development to enhance our interoperability for the conduct of joint operations.
- Establish concrete and sustainable links in support of mutual operational support.
- Continue to develop defence research and development linkages to leverage governmental, industrial and academic co-operation.
- Establish a Canada-France framework agreement on security and defence cooperation to strengthen the priorities listed above and progress achieved in our strategic dialogue.
- Strategic co-operation on national security
Strengthen strategic dialogue among representatives of national security agencies.
Strengthen co-operation to counter cross-border threats in the areas of terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and organized crime.
Establish bilateral co-operation on national programs to assist modern-day veterans, such as counselling and professional training.
Finalize a treaty allowing deployment of security officers on board civilian aircrafts in order to detect and prevent threats to aircraft security.
- Services to citizens abroad and consular co-operation
Strengthen crisis-management and rapid-response partnerships, as well as cooperation on evacuation operations.
Renew an administrative agreement between our respective crisis centres and its provisions for intern exchanges.
- Human Rights and Development
Coordinate efforts in support of human rights, including promoting freedom of religion and beliefs, combating violence against women, and decriminalizing homosexuality.
Re-affirm our commitment to the Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI), including through the implementation of the International Health Regulations.
Continue joint implementation of the G8 Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health through the consolidation of the technical and strategic Canada-France partnership and the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health chaired by Prime Minister Harper and President Kikwete.
III Science, Culture, Citizenship and Society
Implement and highlight the new youth mobility agreement signed in March 2013. Target simplified procedures and achieve enhanced profile for the provisions of the agreement in both countries.
Ensure bilateral strategic co-ordination and integration of the youth dimension in policies regarding employment, urbanization, culture and heritage, and student mobility.
- Digital innovation in the creative and cultural sectors
Encourage expert-level dialogue, under the aegis of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, so that the creative and cultural sectors are able to benefit fully from digital innovation.
Strengthen relations between France’s and Canada’s minority francophone communities: highlight the importance of French-speaking communities across Canada, notably by increasing co-operation among civil society organizations such as the Société nationale de l’Acadie. Support France’s participation at the World Acadian Conference in 2014, in particular the Acadian community of Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon.
Facilitate concrete co-operation projects, especially between provinces, regions and departments, building on those that already exist in health, education and tourism. Support exchanges of information on teaching and evaluation of French-language skills.
Support developing sectoral partnerships between major Canadian and French cities.
Continue the new dynamic in regional cooperation between Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon and the Atlantic provinces, through the engagement of federal, provincial and local stakeholders. Support the development of strong social and economic ties between Canadian and Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon civil society organizations. Support an integrated approach to tourism in the Atlantic region. Follow Canada’s procedure regarding phyto-sanitary recognition and inspection system of Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon’s archipelago. Make progress towards protocols on the environment and the protection of species.
- Scientific and academic research cooperation
Further the development of the France-Canada Research Fund (FFCR) through increased private investment.
Support the development of joint cooperation projects between Canadian and French institutions of higher education, as well as student and researcher mobility.
- Enhance cooperation on public safety and municipal policy
Support bilateral cooperation on crime prevention and security in sensitive urban areas. Encourage exchanges between municipalities and police forces.
Identify and encourage the development of shared projects on prevention, community policing approaches and grass-roots engagement.
- Dialogue on international migration
Deepen bilateral dialogue and share best practices on policy development, migratory movements.
- Enhance cooperation on the shared memory of 20th century conflicts
Implement the Joint Declaration of March 2013 on commemorating the participation of Canada and France in 20th-century conflicts, especially the centenary of the First World War.
Commit to renew educational tours of Canadian and French memorial landmarks, focusing on the new permanent education centre at Vimy. Establish linkages between shared memory and youth programs.
- Professional qualifications and recognition of competencies
Favour increased mobility and broader recognition of professional competencies and qualifications by encouraging nationally regulated Canadian and French professional accreditation agencies to develop mechanisms for mutual recognition of qualifications.
