| Organisation internationale de la Francophonie | | | Motto
"Égalité, Complémentarité, Solidarité"
("Equality, Complementarity, Solidarity"),[1]
alluding to France's motto | Members and participants of the Francophonie. In addition to countries, Belgian and Canadian subdivisional memberships are also represented. | | Headquarters | Paris, France | | Official languages | French | | Membership | 56 member states
3 associate members
14 observers | | Leaders | | - | Executive Secretary | Abdou Diouf | | Establishment | 1970 | La Francophonie, or the Francophonie, is an international organization of polities and governments with French as the mother or customary language, wherein a significant proportion of people are francophones (French speakers) or where there is a notable affiliation with the French language or culture. Formally known as the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) or the International Organization of the Francophonie,[2] the organization comprises 56 member states and governments, 3 associate members, and 14 observers. Francophonie may also refer, particularly in French, to the global community of French-speaking peoples,[3] comprising a network of private and public organizations promoting special ties among all Francophones.[4] The prerequisite for admission to the Francophonie is not the degree of French usage in the member countries, but a prevalent presence of French culture and language in the member country's identity, usually stemming from France's colonial ambitions with other nations in its history. Few of the member states are majority French-speaking, aside from France and its overseas possessions. French geographer Onésime Reclus, brother of Élisée Reclus, coined the word Francophonie in 1880 to refer to the community of people and countries using the French language. Francophonie was then coined a second time by Léopold Sédar Senghor, founder of the Négritude movement, in the review Esprit in 1962, who assimilated it into Humanism.[5][6] The modern organization was created in 1970. Its motto is égalité, complémentarité, solidarité ("equality, complementarity, and solidarity"),[1] alluding to France's motto. Started as a small club of northern French-speaking countries, the Francophonie has since evolved into a global organization whose numerous branches cooperate with its member states in the fields of culture, science, economy, justice, and peace. [edit] Structure -
- For the official structure, see the flow chart given on the OIF website: http://www.francophonie.org/doc/txt-reference/organigramme_2007.pdf
The Francophonie has an observer status at the UN General Assembly. It has been renamed a few times since its founding: -
- 20 March 1970: Agency for Cultural and Technical Co-operation (ACCT) (Agence de coopération culturelle et technique).
March 20 is now commemorated by the organization itself as the International Day of the Francophonie (Journée internationale de la Francophonie), also informally known as "The Celebration of the Francophonie"(la fête de la Francophonie). - 4 December 1995: Intergovernmental Agency of the Francophonie (Agence intergouvernementale de la Francophonie)
- December 1998: International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie)
[edit] Executive Secretariat (Secretaries-general) -
[edit] Summits Summits of the Francophonie (often referred by the English media as the "Fraceyonly")[7] are held every two years, at which time the leaders of the member states have an opportunity to meet and develop strategies and goals for the organization. Past Summits: - Quebec City, Quebec (Canada) (2-4 September 1987)
- Dakar, Senegal (24-26 May 1989)
- Chaillot, Paris, France (19-21 November 1991)
- Port Louis, Mauritius (16-18 October 1993)
- Cotonou, Benin (2-4 December 1995)
- Hanoi, Vietnam (14-16 November 1997)
- Moncton, New Brunswick (Canada) (3-5 September 1999)
- Beirut, Lebanon (18-20 October 2002)
- Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (26-27 November 2004)
- Bucharest, Romania (28-29 September 2006)
- Quebec City, Quebec (Canada) (17-19 October 2008) (part of the 400th anniversary celebration of the founding of Quebec)
Next summit: [edit] Ministerial conferences [edit] Permanent council The Permanent Council of the Francophonie consists of Ambassadors of the member countries, and, like the ministers' conferences, its main task is to plan future summits and also to supervise the implementation of summit decisions on a day-to-day basis. [edit] Intergovernmental agency The Intergovernmental Agency of the Francophonie is the main operator of the cultural, scientific, technical, economic and legal cooperation programs decided at the Summits. The Agency's headquarters are in Paris and it has three regional branches in Libreville, Gabon; Lomé, Togo; and Hanoi, Vietnam. [edit] Missions The Charte de la Francophonie defines the role and missions of the organization. The current charter was adopted in Antananarivo, on November 23, 2005. The summit held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on 26-27 November 2004 saw the adoption of a strategic framework for the period 2004-2014. [edit] French language, cultural and linguistic diversity The primary mission of the organization is the promotion of the French language as an international language and the promotion of worldwide cultural and linguistic diversity in the era of economic globalisation. In this regard, countries that are members of the Francophonie have contributed largely to the adoption by the UNESCO of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (October 20, 2005). [edit] Peace, democracy and human rights Similar to organization such as the Commonwealth of Nations, the Francophonie has as its stated aims the promotion of democracy and human rights. Following the November 3rd 2000 Déclaration de Bamako [8], the Francophonie has given itself the financial means to attain a number of set objectives in that regard. In recent years, some participating governments, notably the governments of Quebec and Canada, pushed for the adoption of a Charter in order for the organization to sanction member States that are known to have poor records when it comes to the protection of human rights and the practice of democracy. Such a measure was debated at least twice but was never approved. [edit] Members The official list of members is available at the Francophonie website. Mauritania's membership was suspended on August 26, 2008, pending democratic elections, after a military coup d'état.[9] | Country | Joined | Language | Notes |  Albania | 1999 | Albanian | approximately 30% of young Albanians choose French as their first foreign language[10] |  Andorra | 2004 | Catalan | Neighbouring France. The French President is co-Prince of Andorra. Read further: Languages of Andorra |  Belgium | 1970 | officially trilingual, French included | French is the native language of about 40% of the population [11] and spoken as an additional languages by 48%[2]. Belgium's French community is also a member separately. See also: Languages of Belgium and Belgian French | *  French Community of Belgium | 1980 | French official language | a community of Belgium with its two components Wallonia (excepting the German speaking Community and Brussels-Capital Region, its French-Speaking majority) |  Benin | 1970 | French | former French colony |  Bulgaria | 1993 | Bulgarian | French is spoken by 9% as additional language, and is taught as a main foreign language in about 25% of primary schools.[12] |  Burkina Faso | 1970 | French | former French colony |  Burundi | 1970 | French | former Belgian UN-protectorate |  Cambodia | 1993 | Khmer | former French colony, part of former French Indochina |  Cameroon | 1991 | officially bilingual, French included | over 90% of country was a French colony |  Canada | 1970 | Officially bilingual, French included | the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick are participating governments; much of Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes formed part of New France, the North American portion of the first French colonial empire.[13] | *  New Brunswick | 1977 | officially bilingual, French included | considered a "participating government," this province of Canada is officially bilingual English-French and home to the largest community of Acadians. | *  Quebec | 1971 | French | considered a "participating government," this province of Canada has French as its sole official language and is home to 85% of Canada's native francophones. |  Cape Verde | 1996 | Portuguese | Former Portuguese colony with many neighboring French-speaking countries. |  Central African Republic | 1973 | officially bilingual, French included | former French colony |  Chad | 1970 | French | former French colony |  Comoros | 1977 | officially trilingual, French included | former French colony |  Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1977 | French | former Belgian colony. See also: Languages of the DRC |  Republic of the Congo | 1981 | French | former French colony |  Côte d'Ivoire | 1970 | French | former French colonySee also: Languages of Côte d'Ivoire |  Djibouti | 1977 | officially bilingual, French included | former French colony |  Dominica | 1979 | English | French and then British colony; Antillean Creole, a French-based creole language, is spoken by 90% of the population. |  Egypt | 1983 | Arabic | traditional Francophone elite |  Equatorial Guinea | 1989 | Spanish (90%) (officially plurilingual) | Former Spanish colony surrounded by French-speaking countries; gets profits from participating in the Francophonie. |  Republic of Macedonia | 2001 | Macedonian | French is taught as a second language in many Macedonian schools throughout the country. |  France | 1970 | French | |  Gabon | 1970 | French | former French colony |  Greece | 2004 | Greek | French is understood and spoken by 8% of the population |  Guinea | 1981 | French | former French colony |  Guinea-Bissau | 1979 | Portuguese | country surrounded by French-speaking countries. Former Portuguese colony |  Haiti | 1970 | officially bilingual, French included | former French colony |  Laos | 1991 | Lao | former French colony |  Lebanon | 1973 | Arabic; French is an administrative language | Under a French mandate from 1920-1943, historical Crusader ties, French language used in schools and universities, and is understood by the majority of the population. |  Luxembourg | 1970 | Officially trilingual, French included | |  Madagascar | 1970-1977,
1989 | officially trilingual, French included | former French colony |  Mali | 1970 | French | former French colony |  Mauritania | 1980 | Arabic | former French colony, French is an administrative language |  Mauritius | 1970 | English; Creole is the mother tongue of the general population. | Dutch, French, and then British colony; French is widely used by the media. |  Moldova | 1996 | Romanian | close ties with Romania |  Monaco | 1970 | French | former French protectorate |  Morocco | 1981 | Arabic | former French protectorate; French is commonly used |  Niger | 1970 | French | former French colony |  Romania | 1993 | Romanian | French is understood and spoken by 24% of the population [3]. Historic cultural ties with France, especially during the late 19th century and early 20th century. |  Rwanda | 1970 | officially trilingual, French included | former Belgian UN-protectorate |  Saint Lucia | 1981 | English | Former French and British colony. Antillean Creole, a French-based creole language, is spoken by 90% of the population. |  São Tomé and Príncipe | 1999 | Portuguese | Former Portuguese colony, neighboring French-speaking countries. |  Senegal | 1970 | French | former French colony, part of former French West Africa |  Seychelles | 1976 | officially trilingual, French included | former French colony (first empire), later British colony, French is commonly used |  Switzerland | 1996 | Officially quadrilingual, French included | French is the native language of about 20% of all Swiss. |  Togo | 1970 | French | former French colony |  Tunisia | 1970 | Arabic | former French protectorate; French is commonly used |  Vanuatu | 1979 | officially trilingual | former French and British condominium |  Vietnam | 1970 | Vietnamese | former French colony | [edit] Associate Member [edit] Observers [edit] Significant Non-members Some countries or regions are not members of the OIF ("La Francophonie"), but are French-speaking or have significant French history and so are considered part of the francophone world ("La francophonie"). | Country | Language | Notes |  Algeria | Arabic, Berber, French | Although French is widely spoken in the country, Algeria is not a member of the OIF. The Algerian government has implemented various reforms in recent decades to improve the status of Standard Arabic relative to French, with some success. Algeria was a part of France until 1962. See further: languages of Algeria |  Guernsey | English, French, Guernésiais, Sercquiais | French is an official language of the Guernsey, but English is the widely predominant language. |  India
* Puducherry | French, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam | A Union Territory of India, French is an official language although indigenous languages are more commonly used. |  Italy
* Aosta Valley | Italian, French, Franco-Provençal | An autonomous Region of Italy. French and Italian are official languages; Franco-Provençal is a protected language. |  Israel | Hebrew, Arabic | French is spoken by 10% of the population. Israel has applied to join the OIF, but has been rejected by Chad, Lebanon and Mauritania.[citation needed]See further: languages of Israel |  Jersey | English, French, Jèrriais | French is an official language of the Jersey, but English is the widely predominant language.See further: languages of Jersey |  Mexico | Spanish | Formerly occupied by France; the two countries retain strong educational and cultural ties and cooperate in many areas. |  Syria | Arabic, French | Although French is spoken as a secondary language in the country, Syria is not a member of the OIF. Syria was a French Mendate from 1919 to 1945. The Syrian government has implemented various nationalist reforms in the decades following independence to limit the use of French and other foreign languages, but is now taking actions to promote the status of French in education relative to English, with some success. See further: languages of Syria |  United States
* Louisiana
* Maine
* New Hampshire
* Vermont | English, French (see also Cajun French), Louisiana Creole French | While it has no official language, the American state of Louisiana has English and French as de facto "official" languages. Many northern areas of New England were destinations for many French-Canadian immigrants in the mid to late 19th century and early 20th century and still contain many French-speakers. | [edit] See also [edit] References - ^ a b Brochure: L’Institut de l’énergie et de l’environnement de la Francophonie (IEPF). Accessed 22 January 2009.
- ^ Atlas of Canada: The Francophonie
- ^ FRANCOPHONIE 18/03/2006, Radio France International
- ^ "Francophonie" The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation of Canada, 2008. Accessed 22 January 2009.
- ^ Radio France International, February 16, 2006
- ^ La France à l’heure de la francophonie culturelle « Saisir du français pour l’imprégner de sa singularité ! », Radio France International
- ^ http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=canada&articleID=3018967
- ^ Déclaration de Bamako
- ^ "L’OIF suspend la Mauritanie", Radio France Internationale, August 27, 2008
- ^ Embassy of France in the US - France / Eastern Europe
- ^ Ginsburgh, Victor, Université Catholique de Louvain; Weber, Shlomo, Professor Economy and Director of the Center for Economic Studies of the Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA, and having a seat in the expert panel of the IMF [1] (June 2006). "La dynamique des langues en Belgique" (in French) (pdf 0.7 MB). Regards économiques, Publication préparée par les économistes de l'Université Catholique de Louvain 19 (Numéro 42): 282. doi:10.1159/000013462. http://regards.ires.ucl.ac.be/Archives/RE042.pdf. Retrieved 2007-05-07. "Les enquêtes montrent que la Flandre est bien plus multilingue, ce qui est sans doute un fait bien connu, mais la différence est considérable : alors que 59 % et 53 % des Flamands connaissent le français ou l'anglais respectivement, seulement 19 % et 17 % des Wallons connaissent le néerlandais ou l'anglais. ... 95 pour cent des Bruxellois déclarent parler le français, alors que ce pourcentage tombe à 59 pour cent pour le néerlandais. Quant à l’anglais, il est connu par une proportion importante de la population à Bruxelles (41 pour cent). ... Le syndrome d’H (...) frappe la Wallonie, où à peine 19 et 17 pour cent de la population parlent respectivement le néerlandais et l’anglais.".
- ^ Кой и колко учи езици в Европа, Дневник.
- ^ As of 2004, a government representative from Ontario also attends as part of the Canadian delegation, although Ontario is not yet a participating government in its own right.
[edit] External links | Member states and observers of the Francophonie | | | Members | | | | Observers | | | | 1 Associate member. 2 Provisionally referred to by the Francophonie as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute. | | | Countries and languages lists | | | Languages by continent | | | | Languages by country | | | | Unions based on language | | | | Countries by language | | | | Languages by population | | | | Languages by family | | | |
