Francophone Secretary General in Monaco

In anticipation of the upcoming 36th Ministerial Conference of Francophones in October, Prince Albert has welcomed the newly elected Secretary General of International Organisation of Francophones (OIF), Louise Mushikiwabo. The conference will be held at the Grimaldi Forum to an expected audience of approximately 450 people from 88 countries.

Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie © Axel Bastello / Prince’s Palace

“This will be for me the first ministerial conference and I intend to take the opportunity to build or renew relations with ministers of the francophone space,” said Ms Mushikiwago.

Ms Mushikiwabo, who hails from Rwanda, served as the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from 2009 to 2018, and was the Minister of Information prior to that. Her term as secretary general of the OIF lasts four years.

The OIF, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, started as a small club in Northern France and has expanded globally since its inception in 1970. The purpose is to bring member states together to share information, namely regarding justice, science, culture, economic development, and peace.