Press Release
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Memorandum of Understanding Signed for the International Observatory on Language Rights
Top row, from left to right: Robert LeBlanc, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law; Éric Labelle-Eastaugh, Director of the International Observatory on Language Rights, Université de Moncton; André Samson, Vice-President, Academic and Research, Université de Moncton. Below: The Honourable Francine Landry, MLA for Madawaska-les-Lacs-Edmundston, Minister of Economic Development, Minister responsible for La Francophonie and Minister responsible for Opportunities NB, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Secretary General, International Organisation of La Francophonie; Jacques Paul Couturier, Acting President and Vice-Chancellor, Université de Moncton.
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“I am delighted with the Memorandum of Understanding and Collaboration that we have signed,” said the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Secretary General of the IOF. “The MOU underlines the desire of Canadian partners to act within the IOF, which brings together in increasingly vital cooperation 84 States and governments on five continents, with a rich diversity of individual contributions, characteristic civilizations and experiences.”
“The government of New Brunswick is proud to sign this MOU, which is an extremely significant step in the province’s international participation in La Francophonie,” stated the Minister of Economic Development, Francine Landry, who is also the Minister responsible for La Francophonie. “This Memorandum will be an opportunity to highlight and share New Brunswick’s expertise in the area of official languages and linguistic minorities with other countries, as well as to contribute to reaching the IOF’s goals for cultural and linguistic diversity.”
“The goal of the Memorandum is to develop new initiatives and to implement those recommended by the new device of observing cultural and linguistic dynamics within the IOF’s French Language, Culture and Diversity Branch in synergy with the Observatory of the French Language,” said Acting President and Vice-Chancellor Jacques Paul Couturier.
The role of the International Observatory on Language Rights is to develop, support and promote training and research on language rights in programs in the Université de Moncton’s Faculty of Law, as well as provincially, nationally and internationally.
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