Guatemala City, Guatemala, Thursday, December 6, 2012

Thank you for your warm welcome. My wife, Sharon, our Canadian delegation, and I are very pleased to end our brief journey to Latin America with a visit to Guatemala. This is the second visit to your country for a governor general of Canada and a third visit for Minister Ablonczy, which demonstrates how important Guatemala is to Canada.

Let me begin, however, by extending my deepest condolences for the losses Guatemalans suffered in the earthquake one month ago. On behalf of all Canadians, I wish all those affected by this tragedy the very best in their efforts to rebuild and recover.

This is my first visit to your beautiful country, and it is one I have been looking forward to. My program over the next two days will afford me an opportunity to speak with Guatemalans and to gain a better understanding of your history, society and culture—and of your hopes and dreams for the future.

Today, Canada and Guatemala are engaged partners on a wide range of issues, including food security and nutrition, justice and security, trade and investment, corporate social responsibility and human rights. Success on each front is essential to realizing that which Canadians and Guatemalans desire in common: smarter, more caring societies and a fairer, more just world.

The white rose ceremony that I am so honoured to participate in today is a dramatic symbol of our shared goals of peace, justice and prosperity for all.

As this daily ceremony reminds us, peace is never a once-and-for-all achievement. Rather, trust and human security are earned and renewed, or eroded, every day. That is what makes the white rose ceremony such a powerful reminder of our duty as human beings to constantly work together for the dignity of all peoples.

On behalf of all Canadians, allow me to congratulate Guatemalans on your dedication to maintaining the peace accords signed 16 years ago.

I am inspired by your efforts to reconcile. As you may know, Canada’s history includes tragic chapters of mistreatment and division among peoples, and we, too, are making our way along our own unique path of reconciliation and recovery.

Those who devote themselves to advancing human security know that there can be no peace without justice and freedom from fear. And in today’s world, I would add, there can be no prosperity without shared prosperity.

I would also like to commend your efforts to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Guatemala.

For many years, Canadians and Guatemalans have been co-operating in common cause, and today we have an opportunity to work together as never before. Our world is characterized by a deepening integration that is allowing us to share ideas, learning, and experiences in unprecedented ways, adding to our potential for partnership.

As we do so, let us strive to build fair, prosperous and inclusive societies in which excellence and equality of opportunity go hand in hand. As close friends and partners in the Americas, I am convinced that Canada and Guatemala can make a strong contribution to bringing about a better world for all.

This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent on the Christian calendar. Four key elements of that important date are peace, hope, joy and love. May those words guide us in our relations to come.

In this spirit of solidarity, I thank you again for welcoming us to your beautiful country.

Thank you.