Organisation internationale de la Francophonie facts for kids

Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
Flag Logo
Anthem: "Ode to Joy" (orchestral)
Motto "Égalité, complémentarité, solidarité" "Equality, complementarity, solidarity"
National members      Regional members      Associated members      Suspended members      Observers
Headquarters	Paris, France
Official language	French
Membership	54 full members  Albania  Andorra  Armenia  Belgium  ∟ French Community of Belgium  Benin  Bulgaria  Burkina Faso (suspended)  Burundi  Cambodia  Cameroon  Canada  ∟ New Brunswick  ∟ Quebec  Cape Verde  Central African Republic  Chad  Comoros  Congo  DR Congo  Djibouti  Dominica  Equatorial Guinea  Egypt  France  Gabon (suspended)  Greece  Guinea (suspended)  Guinea-Bissau  Haiti  Ivory Coast  Laos  Lebanon  Luxembourg  Madagascar  Mali (suspended)  Mauritania  Mauritius  Moldova  Monaco  Morocco  North Macedonia  Niger (suspended)  Romania  Rwanda  Saint Lucia  São Tomé and Príncipe  Senegal  Seychelles   Switzerland  Togo  Tunisia  Vanuatu
Leaders
• Secretary-General	Louise Mushikiwabo
• APF General Secretary	Jacques Krabal
• APF President	François Paradis
Establishment
• Conference of Niamey	20 March 1970 (as ACCT)
• Conference of Hanoi	14–16 November 1997 (as La Francophonie)
Area
• Total	28,223,185 km2 (10,897,033 sq mi)
Population
• 2016 estimate	1 billion
• Density	36/km2 (93.2/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$18.28 trillions
Preceded by French Community
Deliberately alluding to France's motto.

The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), often called the Francophonie, is a global group of countries. These countries either speak French, have many French speakers, or share a strong connection to French culture. It's like a big family of nations that share the French language.

The OIF has 88 members, including 54 full members. The word francophonie (with a small "f") can also mean all French-speaking people around the world. This includes groups that work to connect countries where French or Belgian people, or France or Belgium, played a big part in history.

The OIF was started in 1970. Its motto is "Equality, complementarity, solidarity." This is similar to France's motto, "Liberty, equality, fraternity." The Francophonie began with a few French-speaking countries. Now, it's a worldwide group that works with its members on culture, science, money, justice, and peace.

History of the Francophonie

The first step to create this organization was taken on March 20, 1970. Representatives from 21 countries signed an agreement to form the Agency for Cultural and Technical Co-operation (ACCT). Important leaders from Africa, like Léopold Sédar Senghor of Senegal, helped make this happen.

The main goals of this new group were to promote the cultures of its members. It also aimed to boost cultural and technical teamwork, and build friendship through talking to each other.

The organization changed names over time. In 1998, it became the Intergovernmental Agency of the Francophonie. Then, in 2005, it officially became the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF).

How the Francophonie Works

Leaders: The Secretaries-General

The job of Secretary-General was created in 1997. This person is the main leader and spokesperson for the Francophonie. They suggest important areas for the organization to work on. They also make sure that all programs work well together. The Secretary-General serves a four-year term.

No.	Image	Name	Country	Birth	Death	Start	End	Notes
1		Boutros Boutros-Ghali	Egypt	14 November 1922	16 March 2016(2016-03-16) (aged 93)	16 November 1997	31 December 2002	He was also a Secretary-General of the United Nations before this role.
2		Abdou Diouf	Senegal	(1935-09-07) 7 September 1935 (age 89)	Living	1 January 2003	31 December 2014	He was the President of Senegal before becoming Secretary-General.
3		Michaëlle Jean	Canada	(1957-09-06) 6 September 1957 (age 67)	Living	5 January 2015	2 January 2019	She was the Governor General of Canada before this role.
4		Louise Mushikiwabo	Rwanda	(1961-05-02) 2 May 1961 (age 64)	Living	3 January 2019	incumbent	She was the Foreign Minister of Rwanda before this role.

Summits: Meetings of Leaders

Flags of the Francophonie members.

The Summit is the most important meeting of the Francophonie. It happens every two years. Leaders from all member countries gather to talk about important global issues. They also set goals for the Francophonie to make a difference in the world. The leader of the host country chairs the Summit.

No.	Country/Region	City	Dates	Host
I	France	Versailles	17–19 February 1986	President François Mitterrand
	This first summit focused on using French as a modern language and building friendship among members.
II	Quebec, Canada	Quebec City	2–4 September 1987	Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
	Members agreed on areas to work together, like agriculture, energy, and science.
III	Senegal	Dakar	24–26 May 1989	President Abdou Diouf
	New plans for education, environment, and legal cooperation were made.
IV	France	Paris	19–21 November 1991	President François Mitterrand
	New groups like the Ministerial Conference and Permanent Council were created.
V	Mauritius	Port Louis	16–18 October 1993	President Veerasamy Ringadoo
	Leaders stressed the importance of economic cooperation among French-speaking businesses.
VI	Benin	Cotonou	2–4 December 1995	President Nicéphore Soglo
	The position of Secretary-General was created. The group decided to focus on five main areas: freedom, democracy, culture, knowledge, and economy.
VII	Vietnam	Hanoi	14–16 November 1997	President Trần Đức Lương
	The new Charter was put in place, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali became the first Secretary-General. The main topic was economic cooperation.
VIII	New Brunswick, Canada	Moncton	3–5 September 1999	Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
	The main theme was youth, along with economy and new technologies.
IX	Lebanon	Beirut	18–20 October 2002	President Émile Lahoud
	The summit focused on "Dialogue of Cultures" and human rights. Abdou Diouf was elected Secretary-General.
X	Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou	26–27 November 2004	President Blaise Compaoré
	The theme was "A Space of Solidarity for Sustainable Development." A ten-year plan was adopted, focusing on language, peace, education, and development.
XI	Romania	Bucharest	28–29 September 2006	President Traian Băsescu
	The main theme was "Information Technologies in Education." Leaders discussed climate change and other global issues.
XII	Quebec, Canada	Quebec City	17–19 October 2008	Prime Minister Stephen Harper
	Discussions included the world financial and food crises, and environmental issues.
XIII	Switzerland	Montreux	22–24 October 2010	President Doris Leuthard
	Topics included climate change, food crises, and biodiversity. The Montreux Declaration called for the OIF to play a role in global governance.
XIV	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Kinshasa	12–14 October 2012	President Joseph Kabila
	The theme was "La Francophonie, Economic and Environment Issues in the face of Global Governance."
XV	Senegal	Dakar	29–30 November 2014	President Macky Sall
	The theme was "Women and Youth in La Francophonie: Agents for Peace and Development." Michaëlle Jean was elected Secretary-General.
XVI	Madagascar	Antananarivo	26–27 November 2016	Prime Minister Olivier Solonandrasana
	The theme was "Shared Growth and Responsible Development." Topics included security, gender equality, and linguistic diversity.
XVII	Armenia	Yerevan	11–12 October 2018	Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
	Louise Mushikiwabo was elected Secretary-General. Ghana became a full member, and Louisiana (USA) became an observer.
XVIII	Tunisia	Djerba	19—20 November 2022	Prime Minister Najla Bouden
	The summit aimed to make the OIF a "space for solidarity" by 2030. It focused on promoting French language and cultural diversity.
XIX	France	Villers-Cotterêts	2024	President Emmanuel Macron

Ministerial Conference

The Ministerial Conference brings together foreign or Francophonie ministers every year. They make sure that decisions from the Summits are put into action. They also help plan the next Summit and suggest new members.

Permanent Council

The Permanent Council includes ambassadors from member countries. It is led by the Secretary-General. Its main job is to plan the Summits and oversee the daily work of the organization.

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) represents French-speaking communities. It works to promote democracy, fair laws, and human rights. It also helps parliaments in French-speaking countries work together.

Agency of the Francophonie

The Agency of the Francophonie is the main group that carries out the cultural, scientific, and economic programs. It also helps develop the French language and promotes the many cultures of its members. The Agency's main office is in Paris, France. It also has regional offices in Gabon, Togo, and Vietnam.

Members of the Francophonie

Members of and participants in the Francophonie.      member (national)      member (regional)      associated member      suspended member      observer

Some countries have had their membership suspended due to political issues, like military coups. These include Mauritania, Madagascar, Mali, Central African Republic, and Guinea-Bissau. Thailand, an observer, was suspended in 2014.

In 2018, Louisiana became the first U.S. state to join as an observer. Even though Algeria has many French speakers, it is not a member.

Groups that Help the Francophonie

The OIF works with five main groups to achieve its goals:

• Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)
• TV5Monde
• Association Internationale des Maires Francophones (AIMF)
• Association des Fonctionnaires Francophones des Organisations Internationales (AFFOI)
• Université Senghor d’Alexandrie

Association of Francophone Universities (AUF)

Started in 1961, the Association of Francophone Universities connects universities and research centers in French-speaking countries. It helps build a scientific community in French. It also supports the French language, different cultures, democracy, and sustainable development. The AUF helps students and researchers travel and study in other countries.

TV5Monde: French-speaking TV

TV5Monde is the biggest international French-language TV network. It is available in many countries. It shows French TV programs and helps spread the French language and cultures. It shares the different ways French is spoken around the world. Many viewers are not native French speakers. It offers subtitles in 12 languages, making French culture accessible to more people.

International Association of French-speaking Mayors

This group was created in 1979 by the mayors of Quebec City and Paris. It brings together mayors from 48 countries. Its goal is to help cities work closely together. It focuses on strengthening local democracy, improving city services, and supporting people. This includes work in health, culture, youth, education, and city planning.

Senghor University of Alexandria

Senghor University in Alexandria, Egypt, is a special university. It trains leaders and teachers for development in French-speaking Africa. It helps people gain skills in areas like project management, finance, environment, health, and cultural heritage. The university often holds workshops with other Francophonie groups.

Missions of the Francophonie

The Francophonie flag flying at the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa.

The OIF carries out political actions and works with many countries. These actions are based on the goals set at the Summits. The Summits discuss global politics, the economy, human rights, education, culture, and democracy. The OIF's plans are set for four years and are paid for by its members.

The Charte de la Francophonie (Francophonie Charter) explains the organization's role and missions. The current Charter was approved in 2005. A plan for 2004–2014 was adopted in Burkina Faso.

The four main missions of the Francophonie are:

• Promoting the French language and different cultures and languages.
• Promoting peace, democracy, and human rights.
• Supporting education, training, higher education, and scientific research.
• Expanding cooperation for sustainable development.

French Language and Cultural Diversity

A main goal of the OIF is to promote French as a global language. It also works to celebrate cultural and language diversity in a world that is becoming more connected. Members of the Francophonie helped create a UNESCO agreement to protect and promote different cultures.

In many member countries, especially in Africa, French is spoken alongside other languages. The OIF works to keep French important. It encourages members to work together to support the French language in their societies.

The Francophonie has always supported cultural diversity and dialogue between cultures. It tries to fight against the trend of everything becoming the same because of globalization. It works to protect and develop different cultures.

Peace, Democracy, and Human Rights

Like the Commonwealth of Nations, the Francophonie aims to promote democracy and human rights. After a declaration in 2000, the OIF gained the money to reach these goals.

The Francophonie wants to help promote peace, democracy, and fair laws. It focuses on preventing problems before they start. Political stability and full rights for everyone are seen as key to lasting development.

The OIF offers its member countries access to experts and groups. This helps countries build their own skills, solve conflicts, and recover from crises. Some member governments have pushed for rules to punish countries that don't protect human rights. This idea has been discussed but not yet approved.

Supporting Education and Research

The OIF wants to connect people who speak French through knowledge. Education starts with all children having access to free primary school. It also includes teaching and training from primary school to higher education, leading to jobs. Education policies must also give French an important place alongside other languages. The OIF also promotes research in French-speaking academic areas.

Cooperation for Sustainable Development

The Francophonie works towards sustainable development. This means managing resources wisely for the future. It supports better economic management and helps countries work together. It also helps them find common solutions in big global discussions.

It is important to manage natural resources like energy and water for a long time. The OIF helps create policies to save these resources. It also supports efforts to fight poverty.

In 2013, the United Nations Volunteers program received money from Belgium. This money helped reach out to the French-speaking world. It also helped promote volunteering through online services.

See also

In Spanish: Organización Internacional de la Francofonía para niños