The Francophonie is gearing up to review its priorities in the face of global changes, unique challenges, and limited resources. In the next 24 months, the organization will hold its highest-level meetings, including two Summits of heads of state and government, one in Cambodia in November and another in Canada in autumn 2028. This review is crucial in determining the organization's future direction. According to Jean-Louis Roy, a key area of focus should be the economy.
The economic domain has been discussed extensively over the past two decades, but a convincing structure has yet to be proposed. New groups, such as the Alliance of Francophone Employers and the Francophonie Business Meetings, have emerged to represent the interests of the private sector. However, the pursuit of private interests does not equate to an economic policy. To take decisive action, Francophone states and governments must utilize their legal and regulatory powers to support economic activity within the international Francophone space.
To achieve this, Roy proposes the establishment of a subsidiary body, the Francophone Institute for Economic Development, within the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). This institute would have an autonomous council comprising public sector officials, private sector representatives, and civil society members. Its tasks would include aggregating scattered activities, producing legal instruments to facilitate trade, and organizing a biennial conference of Francophone ministers of economy.
The education sector is another critical area that requires attention. The Francophonie must aim to be the primary partner of national education systems in OIF Southern countries. With 20 million births projected annually in Francophone Africa over the next quarter century, the challenge is substantial. The ambition to support education is driven by the need to ensure every child's right to education and the fact that French language learning in Africa occurs almost exclusively in schools.
To finance this ambition, Roy suggests creating an international foundation with a council capable of conducting large-scale fundraising efforts worldwide. This foundation would complement existing institutional resources. The education sector's challenges in Francophone Southern countries are also relevant to Northern countries, highlighting the need for collaborative solutions.
The culture and communication domains are at the heart of the Francophonie's identity and constitute vibrant sectors of the economy, entrepreneurship, and job creation. However, these sectors are undergoing significant changes, with global players like GAFAM+ dominating the market. A large-scale counter-offensive is necessary to promote Francophone culture and ensure its accessibility.
Roy proposes aggregating and structuring Francophone cultural activities into a common cultural space, creating an international market for Francophone cultures worldwide. He also suggests developing a digital platform to ensure access to Francophone cultural productions, building on the success of TV5 Monde, which has nearly 400 million annual users.
Key points
- The Francophonie must prioritize four key areas: economy, education, culture, and governance.
- The organization aims to review its priorities in the face of global changes and limited resources.
- A Francophone Institute for Economic Development and an international foundation for education are proposed to support the organization's ambitions.
