Government urged to better promote French content online

On March 25, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages released its study of the state of French-language government content in Canada. The authors reproach the federal government for not following through on a number of recommendations made by the office in 1999, and urge the government to make a new commitment to French-language content. It’s a matter, say the report’s authors, of economic and cultural imperative. The following is an edited excerpt from the study’s executive summary. In implementing the provisions of the Official Languages Act, the Government of Canada cannot escape the necessity of promoting the French language on the Internet. For this, it needs to have in place an integrated strategy, a targeted action plan, and the necessary investment, all based on a global perspective of the issues. In August 1999, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages released The Government of Canada and French on the Internet. This special study offered twelve recommendations to the Government of Canada aimed at establishing the policy framework, strategy and investments needed to increase the use of French on the Internet. It concludes that while some progress has been made, there remains much to do. To be blunt, the performance of the Government in Canada in promoting French on the Internet leaves much to be desired, since fewer than half of the recommendations from the 1999 special study have been followed up in any significant fashion. That is why this study was needed. Following this assessment, the study ventures into territory beyond the 1999 study, examining the current state of affairs with respect to the French language and the Internet. On the basis of this status report, the Commissioner of Official Languages draws an overall judgement and develops a new series of recommendations. The study proposes that the government begin a process of review and recommends courses of action with respect to the current situation, the policy framework, the critical mass of content, the language industries, and Canada’s foreign policy with a view towards bringing respect for the Canadian principle of language duality to the Internet. It is not only a legal and constitutional principle unique to Canada that is at stake, but also the image that Canada would like to project to the world, not to mention an important factor in economic growth. The Internet is now at the very core of global communications networks and is the stage for the government’s on-line service commitments. It is also a catalyst for major change inthe linguistic, social, cultural and economic character of Canadian society. The Governmentof Canada must ensure that the development of the Internet is consistent with Canada’s linguistic duality. Specifically, the study’s 19 recommendations are designed to foster the emergence of a global vision and a coherent governance framework to promote French on the Internet. The Minister of Industry and the Treasury Board Secretariat are identified as key players in this governance framework. The development of the French language on the Internet offers Canada a unique opportunity to affirm its identity and to develop the knowledge economy. The Government of Canada can and must accept the challenge! A full copy of the study is available at http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/7e_1.htm

Government urged to better promote French content online

Broadcast | March 27, 2002

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