Prime Minister Stephen Harper closed the Sommet de la Francophonie in Quebec City on Sunday by announcing $100 million in aid for developing countries to fight climate change.
Harper said his government has always been committed to finding a solution to global warming and understands that some poorer countries don't have enough resources to do the same.
"That's why I'm announcing that the government of Canada will add $100 million of aid to developing countries particularly vulnerable to climate change," Harper said.
"This help will go to the countries that are least advanced and small insular states, especially in Africa, the Caribbean and the South Pacific."
Harper also said he has been working with world leaders to "minimize the effects" of the global economic crisis.
"Now we have to start our follow-up work ... concerning our commitments," he said.
At a press conference afterwards, Quebec Premier Jean Charest said solutions to the financial crisis "must take into account the countries of the south."
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon also said the summit was a key instrument in bringing up issues important to those nations.
Harper met privately Saturday with world leaders at the summit to discuss the financial crisis that has sent stock markets tumbling worldwide.
On Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Francophone countries can take a lead role in helping to calm the economic turmoil by proposing new economic models for the world.
Sarkozy left the summit Saturday to meet with U.S. President George Bush to discuss the ongoing turmoil.
CTV's Rosemary Thompson told CTV Newsnet from the summit on Sunday morning that Sarkozy said reforms to capitalist system are needed to protect investors. He said he believes speculators have been able to do whatever they want.
"Interestingly enough, the Canadian government is saying 'we don't want to rethink capitalism, we think that our banking sector is fine,'" Thompson said.
After a day of talks about the global economic crisis, world leaders discussed the health of the French language Sunday during the final day of the summit.
Charest said the summit showed the necessity of protecting and "affirming" the French language.
"Our language defines who we are," he said. "It is a value that we share."
The Francophonie is the French-language equivalent of the Commonwealth and meetings occur every two years.
Representatives from 52 member nations and 13 observer countries attended this year's meeting, and discussions covered topics such as human rights, democracy and the environment.
With files from The Canadian Press
