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Media Release

• Six countries agree to partner with Forum of Federations.
• Forum names new President-CEO and Chair.

In 1999, the Canadian government launched the Forum of Federations as a worldwide network on federalism, with the aim of encouraging an exchange of ideas and best practices. The Forum was established as a Canadian NGO, based in Ottawa, with an international board of directors and a global scope of activity.

In the past six months, five other countries formally joined Canada in this effort. All have signed Framework Agreements committing them to support and work together with the Forum.

The Forum's six partner countries are:

• Australia,
• Austria,
• Canada,
• India,
• Nigeria, and
• Switzerland.

Today, June 14th, 2005, the Forum's Strategic Council, representing the six partner countries meets for the first time, in Ottawa. The Council provides broad policy guidance to Forum while the Board of Directors continues to manage the organization.

Further indication of the increasing international character of Forum is the fact that the Board has elected its first non-Canadian Chair. Former Swiss President Arnold Koller replaced former Ontario Premier Bob Rae as Forum Chair this past February.

Mr Rae had also been acting, on a transitional basis, as Forum's CEO. A new President-CEO, George Anderson, took over on Monday, June 13th, 2005. Most recently, Mr. Anderson had been Canadian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources. Prior to that, he had a distinguished career in public service, including serving as Canadian Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs from 1996 to 2002.

Since its inception, the Forum of Federations has achieved a worldwide reputation for its work.

The Forum has made advances on a number of fronts:

• Major international conferences on federalism bring leaders and practitioners from federal countries and other nations together: Mont-Tremblant, Quebec; Saint Gallen, Switzerland; Brussels, Belgium. India will host the next such event in 2007 or 2008.
• Forum collaborates in governance task forces, roundtables, missions and public education campaigns with many countries, including: Mexico, Brazil and Nigeria. Forum gained particular prominence for its contribution to the Sri Lankan Peace process and will begin working in Iraq, on federalism issues, by the end of June.
• The worldwide Global Dialogue program links the practical and research worlds of federal governance and produces an unparalleled set of useful books and booklets on comparative federalism.
• The Forum's regular publications, such as the federal newsmagazine, Federations, and the Handbook of Federal Countries - 2002 and 2005 editions - reach thousands of key leaders and practitioners worldwide. Plus audiovisual materials including two videos and a web site that features an online library. http://www.forumfed.org

The Forum will hold a reception on Wednesday June 15th from 5:15 PM to 7:00 PM at 325 Dalhousie on the 10th floor. Forum will launch the Global Dialogue series and the 2005 edition of the Handbook of Federal Countries, on this occasion. Members of the Forum's Strategic Council and Board of Directors will be present, as will the outgoing and incoming Presdents.

Contact:

Karl Nerenberg, Director, Public Information and Senior Editor
Email: nerenberg@forumfed.org
Tel. +1 (613) 244-3360 ext. 203 - Cell: (613) 286-5573

Carl Stieren, Program Manager, Public Information
Email: stieren@forumfed.org
Tel. +1 (613) 244-3360 ext. 207

Rita Champagne, Program Assistant/Editorial Assistant, Public Information
Email: champagne@forumfed.org
Tel. +1 (613) 244-3360 ext. 215