The Francophonie Summit, which gathers most of the world’s French-speaking countries, opened on Friday in France, marking the first time in 33 years that the event has been hosted there.
The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), consisting of 54 member states—29 of which are African—will convene for two days in Villers-Cotterêts.
This year’s theme, “Create, Innovate, and Do Business in French,” highlights concerns raised by young francophones globally in a 2020 survey, as revealed by OIF Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo. French remains one of the five most spoken languages globally, with over 321 million speakers, though its teaching is on the decline, according to Mushikiwabo.
France took over the summit’s ministerial presidency from Tunisia for the next two years. The summit, held at the newly inaugurated Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, also serves as a platform for President Emmanuel Macron to engage with African leaders.
As most OIF members are African states, the summit takes place during a period when France’s ties with Africa are being tested. Nations like Mali and Burkina Faso have recently relegated French to “working language” status, asserting greater sovereignty, while countries like Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have been suspended from the OIF after military coups in the region.
