1. Francophonie
The predecessor of the International Organisation of La Francophonie was founded on March 20, 1970, in Niamey, under the name Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT). It was founded by four visionary figures: LĂ©opold SĂ©dar Senghor, President of Senegal; Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia; Hamani Diori, President of Niger; and King Father Norodom Sihanouk, then Prince and Head of State of Cambodia at the time the treaty was signed. In 1998, the Agency became the Intergovernmental Agency of La Francophonie, before adopting its current name in 2005: the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF). Its headquarters are located in Paris, France.
The Organisation currently comprises 90 member states and governments, including 53 full members, 5 associate members, and 32 observers.
The OIF’s mission is to foster active solidarity among its members. It works to improve the standard of living of their populations. It supports its member states in developing and strengthening their public policies. It also carries out initiatives in international policy and multilateral cooperation. These commitments fall under four main missions, established by the Francophonie Summit:
- Promoting the French language and cultural and linguistic diversity;
- Promoting peace, democracy, and human rights;
- Supporting education, training, higher education, and research;
- Developing cooperation in the service of sustainable development.
According to the OIF’s 2026 report, La langue française dans le monde, French now has 396 million speakers worldwide. It is thus the fourth most widely spoken language in the world, behind English, Mandarin, and Spanish.
According to the same OIF report, La langue française dans le monde (2026 edition, 2025 data), the region has 712,000 French speakers in Vietnam, 215,000 in Laos, and 29,000 in Cambodia. In Cambodia, this presence is part of a wave of renewal driven by the country’s hosting of the 20th Francophonie Summit, as well as by rapidly expanding bilingual education programs and university partnerships.
2. Within the OIF
The Secretary General of La Francophonie is the head of the OIF. Ms. Louise Mushikiwabo was appointed to this position by the Francophonie Summit in 2018 in Yerevan, Armenia, and reappointed in 2022 at the Summit in Djerba, Tunisia. The Administrator is appointed by the Secretary General. She is responsible for implementing and managing the OIF’s cooperation activities. Ms. Caroline St-Hilaire has held this position since March 21, 2023.
The OIF is governed by three political bodies: the Summit (the supreme body, which meets every two years), the Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie (CMF), and the Permanent Council of La Francophonie (CPF).
Beyond its headquarters in Paris, the OIF is present around the world through 13 external representations:
-
4 offices attached to international partner organisations:
- in Addis Ababa, attached to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa;
- in Brussels, attached to the European Union;
- in New York and Geneva, attached to the United Nations.
-
9 offices, one for each major geographic region:
- in Lomé (Togo), for West Africa;
- in Libreville (Gabon), for Central Africa;
- in Tunis (Tunisia), for North Africa;
- in Hanoi (Vietnam), for the Asia-Pacific region;
- in Port-au-Prince (Haiti), for the Caribbean;
- in Bucharest (Romania), for Central and Eastern Europe;
- in Beirut (Lebanon), for the Middle East;
- in Quebec City (Canada), for the Americas;
- in Antananarivo (Madagascar), for the Indian Ocean.
3. In partnership with the OIF
In accordance with Article 2 of the Charter of La Francophonie (Antananarivo, 2005), which defines the institutions of La Francophonie, the OIF works in synergy with the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF), the consultative assembly of La Francophonie, as well as with the “direct and recognized operators of the Summit”: the Francophone University Agency (AUF), TV5, the international Francophone television network, Senghor University in Alexandria, and the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF). It also works in connection with the Conference of Ministers of Education of the Francophonie States and Governments (Confémen) and the Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Francophonie (Conféjes).
4. Cambodia and the OIF
Cambodia joined La Francophonie in November 1991 as an observer member at the 4th Francophonie Summit held in Chaillot, Paris. Two years later, in October 1993, it attained full membership status at the 5th Francophonie Summit in Grand Baie, Mauritius.
5. Upcoming Francophonie Events
- The 48th Francophonie Ministerial Conference (CMF) will be held on November 14, 2026, in Phnom Penh, on the sidelines of the Summit at the Sokha Hotel.
- The 20th Francophonie Summit will take place on November 15 and 16, 2026, in Cambodia.
- For more information on the Francophonie, visit the OIF website.
