Published on Thursday October 10, 2024 •
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France welcomed the 19th Summit of the Francophonie October 4 and 5, 2024 in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris. This is an opportunity for ASFE to return to the presentation of the institution par excellence which embodies solidarity and cooperation within the French-speaking world: the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF).
Genesis of the OIF : from linguistic unity to institutional organization
The concept of a space of linguistic unity and cultural influence is driven by France under the leadership of President Georges Pompidou and some African leaders, including Presidents Léopold Senghor (Senegal) and Hamani Diori (Niger). At the time of independence, the latter actively worked to ensure that the countries of French-speaking Africa participated in essentially cultural cooperation projects. The idea was then to unite the Nations which have made the French language a “national language, official language or language of culture”.
This initiative was recognized during the first intergovernmental conference of French-speaking states held in Niamey, then a second the following year. On March 20, 1970, it resulted in the signing, by 21 countries, of a charter creating the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT). A name that it bore until 1998, before being renamed the Intergovernmental Agency of the Francophonie (AIT). The organization then evolved from summit to summit, becoming a political forum, with the appointment of a Secretary General, the adoption of a charter and a constant expansion to countries sometimes with very few French speakers. In 2005, the organization took its current political and institutional form and was named Organization Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
The date of March 20 has since become a symbol: that of the International Day of the Francophonie. It is a highlight during which attachment to the French language and the Francophonie is celebrated, in particular through shows, literary meetings, debates, film screenings, in public or private places, or in virtual format.
Source : International Organization of the Francophonie
Organization of the OIF
The headquarters of the OIF is in Paris. It has – among others – offices in Libreville (Gabon), Lomé (Togo), Hanoi (Vietnam) as well as representations in Brussels to the EU and in Addis Ababa to the African Union. Likewise, in its capacity as an observer, the OIF can attend meetings of the UN Security Council.
The OIF currently has 88 member states and governments, of which the French language remains the basis of unity and creates the conditions for cooperation and solidarity:
- 54 full members
- 5 associate members
- 27 observers, sharing a language and promoting its strengths: French.
Ghana and Cyprus, until now “associate members” of the International Organization of La Francophonie, were elevated to the rank of full members of the OIF during the 19th Francophonie Summit. Notably because the application study committee, responsible for evaluating applications for membership and change of status, issued a favorable recommendation in this regard. Israel is not a member of the OIF.
Five states and regions have obtained approval to enter the Francophonie as observers. These are the following countries: French Polynesia, Angola, Chile, Saarland (Germany) and Nova Scotia (Canada).
Governance and operation of the OIF
To achieve its objectives, the OIF is placed under the authority of 3 political authorities:
- The Francophonie Summit : conference of heads of state and government, it is the highest governance body of the OIF. The Summit meets every two years. It is chaired by the head of state or government of the country hosting the Summit until the next Summit. It decides on the admission of new full members, associate members and observer members to the OIF. It defines the orientations of the Francophonie and elects the Secretary General of the Francophonie.
- Ministerial Conference (CMF) : composed of ministers from member states, it ensures the political continuity of the Francophonie Summit.
- The Permanent Council (CPF) : body responsible for preparation, it is at the same time facilitator, coordinator and arbiter of the Organization’s action. Chaired by the Secretary General of La Francophonie, it decides on its proposals and supports it in the exercise of its functions.
The multilateral Francophonie is structured by an operation placed under the supervision of the secretary general of the institution.
- The general secretary : It is the keystone of the institutional system. He leads the political action of La Francophonie, of which he is the spokesperson and official representative at the international level. This function is occupied by Louise Mushikiwabo since 2018 and confirmed for a second term in 2022.
- The Administrator : the Secretary General of the OIF designates an Administrator responsible for executing and managing cooperation. Caroline St-Hilaire was appointed to this position on March 21, 2023.
Furthermore, the OIF implements French-speaking multilateral cooperation alongside the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) and 4 operators:
- the Francophonie University Agency (AUF);
- TV5MONDE ;
- the International Association of French-speaking Mayors (AIMF);
- Senghor University in Alexandria.
Values and Missions
The values of the OIF
The OIF encourages exchanges between representatives of governments and civil society in French-speaking countries, with the motto: equality, complementarity, solidarity.
Its key values are anchored in the Charter of La Francophonie, which was adopted at the 1997 Francophonie Summit in Vietnam and supplemented in 2005 in Madagascar; she defends solidarity, peace, democracy, the rule of law in French-speaking states.
Its missions
The OIF provides its members with support in the development or consolidation of their policies and carries out international policy and multilateral cooperation actions, according to four main missions:
The challenges of the OIF
Globalization has given a certain advantage to the Anglo-Saxon model in many areas such as linguistics, world trade, etc. This pre-eminence has created a structural inequality suffered by French-speaking countries, particularly the weakest. This has an impact on the efficiency of multilateral cooperation led by the OIF.
Consequently, the Francophonie must consolidate alliances within it as the opportunities remain significant. They have never been so large: on the one hand, French-speakers from the industrialized world in the North, holders of capital and technologies and who are looking for new markets, sources of growth; on the other, a large number of French-speaking countries, specifically in the South, looking for new partners to ensure the industrial transformation of the rich raw materials they possess.
Future and prospects
With a population of 327 million speakers worldwide in 2023the French-speaking world is doing well. Its center of gravity is now moving towards the South and more precisely towards sub-Saharan Africa. The OIF can capitalize on this considerable asset to consolidate cooperation between French-speaking countries and promote the soft power of the French language.
Even if cooperation between certain Member States is tested by the succession of security crises and political conflict, the OIF can position itself as a catalyst to work towards mediation between the parties in conflict. In order to guarantee multilateral, prosperous and peaceful cooperation in an increasingly competitive space.
In short, the future challenges for the OIF result in its ability to:
• Increase the valorization of the French language
• Contribute to reducing disparities between member countries
• Work more intensely to bring French-speaking peoples together
• Establish a partnership, which would be mutually beneficial for the French-speaking area.
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