The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) prepares to elect its next Secretary-General on November 16, not all its members will have a say in choosing who leads the organisation.
Although the OIF brings together 90 member states and governments, only 53 full members are entitled to vote in the election. The remaining members, comprising associate members and observers, do not have voting rights in the process.
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The election will take place during the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, scheduled for November 15 and 16. The successful candidate will serve a four-year term from 2027 to 2030.
The four candidates competing for the position include incumbent Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda, Juliana Amato Lumumba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Coumba Bâ of Mauritania, and Dacian Cioloș of Romania.
Who is eligible to vote?
The OIF has three membership categories including 53 full members, five associate members and 32 observers.
Voting rights are determined by a member's status within the organisation. Full members have full participation in the OIF's institutions, including the right to vote in the election of the Secretary-General.
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Associate members and observers, however, have more limited participation. While they can take part in selected meetings and cooperation programmes, they are not entitled to vote or participate in certain closed-door sessions.
The 53 full members and governments are Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, New Brunswick, Quebec, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Moldova, Monaco, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
How is the Secretary-General elected?
The election is conducted by heads of state and government representing the OIF's full members during a closed session of the Francophonie Summit, and the Secretary-General is reserved for the 53 full members.
The process begins with nominations. Each full member can propose one candidate through diplomatic channels.
Candidates are then invited to present their vision to the Conference of Francophonie Ministers, where representatives of full members can hear their proposals and ask questions.
The four candidates already took part in hearings in June, during which they presented their vision for the organisation and responded to questions. The process was introduced following institutional reforms adopted in 2022.
At the Summit, heads of state and government will first seek to agree on a candidate through consensus. If they fail to reach an agreement, the Secretary-General will be elected through a vote, in which the candidate who secures a simple majority of votes cast by members present and voting will win.
This is not a public election in which citizens vote for their preferred candidate. Instead, the decision is made by representatives of the OIF's 53 full members.
What does the Secretary-General do?
The Secretary-General is the head of the OIF and its legal representative. The officeholder represents the organisation internationally, coordinates its political activities and multilateral cooperation, and oversees the implementation of its programmes.
The Secretary-General also presides over the Permanent Council of La Francophonie, which prepares and follows up on the work of the organisation's Summit.
The OIF's work extends beyond promoting the French language. Its programmes also cover education, cultural diversity, peace and democracy, economic cooperation, sustainable development and international relations.