The world must do more to help the "desperate" people of war-ravaged Sudan, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the 11th summit of the Francophonie on Thursday.

Harper said the United Nations had a responsibility to take a bigger role in the east African country, where fighting between rebels and government-backed militias in the Darfur region has killed more than 200,000 and displaced at least 2.5 million.

"We must act to save a desperate population, it's the responsibility to protect," Harper said in his first address to the group of 53 states and governments at the conference in Romania.

The UN has called the situation in Darfur the world's worst humanitarian disaster, and Harper said the world body had to take action to bring peace to the area -- over the objections of the Sudanese government.

Sudan President Omar El Bashir recently rejected a UN proposal to deploy a UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur, calling the offer "imperialistic."

"We want to promote the reform of the justice system, rebuild a security system, reduce the traffic in arms, and reinforce the institutions of government and community life. The government of Sudan will have to handover the responsibility for the African Union mission in Sudan to the United Nations at the start of the new year, under African command," Harper said.

The Sudanese government recently applied to join the Francophonie, but its candidacy was refused because of the country's poor human rights record.

Middle East crisis

Harper also addressed the Middle-East crisis, urging the international community to respect its financial commitments to the reconstruction of Lebanon.

"Let's not forget that in the long term, the objective remains the creation of a just and long-standing peace for all countries in the Middle-East," he told the summit.

"The Francophonie must do its part in favour of appeasing tensions in the region."

CTV's Rosemary Thompson said Harper's address was "the most interesting speech" of the morning.

"Harper said it was a challenge for the French-speaking world to bring peace and stability to places like Haiti, Darfur and Lebanon," Thompson told Canada AM, reporting from the Romanian capital Bucharest.

"He also talked about Afghanistan. He said not only are soldiers needed, but engineers, teachers and people who can help bring free elections to that country. They are the key to the future.

"It really sounded like Mr. Harper was listening to his critics back home and he put a real emphasis on reconstruction and humanitarian aid," Thompson added.

Quebec City

Harper also reminded delegates that the next Francophonie summit will be held in Quebec City in 2008 -- coinciding with the city's 400th anniversary celebrations.

"Rare are North American cities that can celebrate such a past," he said.

"1608 is a historical date for all of Canada and for North America. It was on that date that we started truly becoming who we are today, because the founding of Quebec City also marks the founding of the Canadian state."

Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Quebec City Mayor Andree Boucher are also attending the summit to promote the provincial capital.

This year's two-day summit, which began Thursday in Bucharest, is set to focus on the use of French in education around the world and in information and communications technologies.

It will also focus on the Middle East crisis, in particular the recent 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

However, the pro-Syrian President of Lebanon, Emile Lahoud, was not invited and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora declined to attend.