President Paul Kagame and the First Lady Jeannette Kagame on Sunday, November 15, joined other heads of state and government in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the opening of the 20th Summit of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

The two-day summit is expected to address international cooperation, peace, multilateralism and sustainable development.

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Kagame and the First Lady arrived in Cambodia on November 12 for a state visit and have held bilateral engagements with the country&039;s leadership.

The opening ceremony of the Francophonie summit was attended by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Manet, OIF Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo and French President Emmanuel Macron. Other leaders attending include Vietnamese President To Lam, DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, among other heads of state and government.

Held under the theme "Reinvest in Peace for Shared Prosperity and Lasting Stability,” the summit brings together representatives of the organisation’s 90 member states and governments to discuss shared priorities and strengthen cooperation within the Francophone community.

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The programme features official addresses and the handover of the summit presidency from France to Cambodia. Leaders are also expected to consider key documents prepared by foreign ministers and discuss ways of strengthening cooperation among member states.

During the 48th Session of the Francophonie Ministerial Conference, held on Saturday, November 14, ahead of the official opening of the summit, foreign ministers and representatives of member states met to prepare matters for consideration by their respective leaders.

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The ministers considered key documents, including the Phnom Penh Declaration, a resolution on crisis situations and the Phnom Penh Appeal, a Cambodian initiative focusing on the protection of cultural heritage and promotion of cultural diversity.

The opening also marked the transfer of the summit presidency from France to Cambodia.

The presidency is held by the country hosting the summit and is passed to the next host. It gives the country responsibility for presiding over the summit&039;s proceedings and helping guide discussions among member states during its tenure. Cambodia will hold the presidency until the next summit in 2028.

The OIF is led by its Secretary-General, who oversees the organisation's activities and represents it internationally.

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Secretary-General election on Monday

One of the major items on the summit&039;s agenda is the election of the next OIF Secretary-General, scheduled for Monday, November 16, for the 2027–2030 term.

Four candidates had initially entered the race: Rwanda's incumbent Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo, former Mauritanian minister Coumba Bâ, former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș and DR Congo's Juliana Amato Lumumba.

However, DR Congo announced on Saturday that it was willing to withdraw Lumumba's candidacy in favour of a possible consensus around Cioloș.

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The announcement leaves Mushikiwabo, Bâ and Cioloș as the candidates remaining in the contest.

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Mushikiwabo, who has led the organisation since 2018, is seeking a third four-year term.

The Secretary-General is elected by heads of state and government, or their representatives, during a closed session of the Francophonie Summit.

Only the OIF&039;s 53 full members have voting rights in the election. The remaining membership comprises five associate members and 32 observers, who do not participate in the selection.

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The election process seeks consensus among member states before resorting to a formal vote. If consensus cannot be reached, a vote is conducted, with the candidate receiving the highest number of votes among members present and voting declared elected.

This year's election also marks the first full application of the revised OIF electoral regulations adopted in 2022. The process includes a formal call for applications, submission of candidates' programmes and hearings before ministers, who assess their proposed visions and priorities for the organisation.

The candidates presented their programmes to ministers during a special session in Paris on June 30.

The next Secretary-General will serve a four-year term, from 2027 to 2030.