Toast by Secretary-General at Francophones’ dinner in New York

 

(Delayed for translation of text, originally delivered in French)

Following is the text of a toast by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the Francophones’ dinner in New York on 23 September 2004:

My wife and I are very happy to be among you tonight.  It is always a pleasure for us to see our friends of the great francophone family.  Let me begin by thanking our hosts, Mr. Minister and Madame Barnier, for their kind and generous invitation.

This dinner is not just a tradition.  It is a sign of the pleasure which francophones throughout the world take in strengthening their ties of friendship -- ties which were forged over time but which also look towards the future.  Faced with the temptation to divide the world into ethnic, religious or cultural groups, the francophones defend the concept of a community of heart and mind, founded on shared values:  liberty, equality and tolerance.  This is the whole purpose of La Francophonie’s battle for linguistic and cultural diversity.  I pay tribute to this desire for openness at a time when the dialogue between cultures is more necessary than ever.

In two months, the Ouagadougou Summit will establish guidelines for La Francophonie during the coming decade.  The United Nations wholeheartedly supports a movement which promotes the cause of democracy, human rights, peace and progress.

This beautiful French language which you share is a treasure.  I know that I do not always do justice to it, but you may be very sure that I take every opportunity to improve my French.  To my delight, I have discovered a new method:  learning through gastronomy.  I’ve noticed that those who have mastered the culinary vocabulary can enjoy any conversation, including those conducted in diplomatic jargon.

[Note:  Much of the remainder of the Secretary-General’s toast consists of a series of gastronomic puns; the original French is provided in parentheses.]

Quite recently, for example, a diplomat whom I was questioning on the subject of a negotiation replied, neither fish nor fowl (mi-figue, mi-raisin):

“Things are heating up (On fait monter la mayonnaise).  Too many cooks spoil the broth (Chacun veut mettre son grain de sel).  If things turn sour (Si les choses tournent au vinaigre), we might find ourselves in the soup (on pourrait se retrouver dans le pétrin).

“Fearing that the press might stir the pot (Craignant que la presse n’en fasse ses choux gras), I tucked right in (j’ai tout de suite mis la main à la pâte).  I told everyone to cool it.  (J’ai conseillé à chacun de mettre de l’eau dans son vin).  In the end, they decided that half a loaf was better than none (Ils ont fini par couper la poire en deux).  But it was no picnic (Mais ce ne fut pas du gâteau)!”

Dear friends, before raising the glass of friendship, let me wish you a very pleasant evening.  Let us remember this shared moment and continue our efforts to build, together, this better world to which we all aspire.

We still have a lot on our plates (Il y a encore du pain sur la planche)!

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