YAOUNDE, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Parliamentarians from across the French-speaking world gathered in Cameroon Friday for the 51st plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie, or APF.
Nearly 400 lawmakers and officials from about 100 parliaments in Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific are taking part in the meeting. The session in the capital Yaounde is centered on the theme: "Climate change, development and Francophone solidarity: What commitments in a world beset by crises?"
Key topics on the agenda include climate change, democracy, parliamentary cooperation, peace and security.
In his opening address, APF President Hilarion Etong urged delegates to confront environmental challenges head-on. "We must rise to the challenge of environmental issues. Let us ensure that the Francophone parliamentary voice continues to champion a certain vision of peace, democracy and human dignity across the globe," Etong said.
He also called for greater respect for sovereignty and said the future of La Francophonie is increasingly tied to Africa. "We must bring to the debate a self-evident truth we can no longer ignore: the demographic, cultural and human future of the Francophonie is largely being shaped in Africa. And this future cannot be built on dependency, sterile confrontations or misunderstandings inherited from the past," he added.
Etong said the APF must work toward a world where dialogue replaces force.
The session runs through July 12. Organizers say the closing ceremony will review the concrete commitments made during parliamentary diplomacy, which started in Yaounde Tuesday. ■