At 44th La Francophonie Ministerial Confab: Nations recommit to fostering democracy, social cohesion, prosperity.

This is contained in resolutions arrived at by delegates at the end of the 44^th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie. The event took place at the Yaounde Conference Centre from Saturday November 4 to Sunday November 5. 

Outlining the commitments in a five-page resolution, the over 200 delegates and ministers, who participated in the gathering, said La Francophonie bloc is fixed on ensuring that it attains a remarkable level of prosperity capable of providing a befitting space for all its citizens.

The officials said the promotion of democratic values, good governance and human rights will be revamped and placed at the heart of its actions to ensure all member nations, amongst others, escape the rising rate of instabilities hindering development and progress in the bloc.

“…We agreed on reaffirming our commitment to peace, democracy, human rights, and the French language, the bedrock of the Francophonie, which must be in all fields of action, as well as the diversity of cultural and linguistic expressions,” the conference’s first resolution stated. 

The bloc particularly expressed concern over what it called a rising level of breakdowns in democracy in the French world which are not only leading to a decline in the practice of good governance, but also to the spread of poverty and a disturbing rate of underdevelopment.

“…We express our concern at the observed decline in good governance practices in the French-speaking world, notably through the breakdown of the constitutional order, the rise in insecurity due to terrorism, armed groups, and civil conflicts. The accentuation of poverty marked by underdevelopment and inequitable access to resources, as well as the consequences of climate change,” resolution 5 of the conference stated. 

The structure also stated it “calls for further in-depth and inclusive reflection to identify the obstacles implementation of the parameters of good governance, and to identify possible solutions, giving priority to those that apply to all while respecting endogenous specificities,”.

Several major resolutions arrived at 

Besides the call for good governance, democracy and progress, several other major resolutions were drafted by La Francophonie bloc, including the inclusion of women and young people, promotion of the use of technology as a development tool, and the fight against climate change.

The promotion of women and youth participation in major decision-making activities, the delegates and ministers said in the resolutions, will be prioritised to promote inclusive development. 

“We confirm that, with a shared language, an uncompromising commitment to humanist values and fundamental rights, and an economic and digital strategy focused on inclusive and equitable sustainable development in which women and young people are key players, culture and the cultural and creative industries remain at the heart of our Francophone action,” it stated.

External Relations Minister, Mbella Mbella, after talks with Swiss delegation during conference

Cameroon hailed for successfully hosting global gathering 

The ‘Organisation internationale de la Francophonie’ is an international organisation representing countries and regions where French is a lingua franca or customary language, a significant proportion of the population are Francophones, or where there is a notable affiliation with French culture.

The Ministerial Conference is the bloc’s second most important meeting after its annual La Francophonie Summit. Decisions arrived at during the Summit are implemented at the Ministerial Conference.

Cameroon, which hosted the 44^th Ministerial Conference, was organising the confab for the first time. Cameroon is also the first nation in the Central African sub-region to play host to the event. 

Speaking at a press conference at the end of the 44^th Ministerial Conference on Sunday, the bloc’s head, Secretary General, Louise Mushikiwabo, praised Cameroon for the successful organisation of the event. 

“The Secretary General of La Francophonie had the opportunity to meet Cameroon's highest authorities, to praise the excellent organisation of this important event for La Francophonie, and the warm welcome extended to all delegations on Cameroonian soil,” a final communique by the La Francophonie bloc at the end of the event, stated. 

The Yaounde conference took place under the theme: “Good governance: A guarantee of political, economic and cultural stability for Francophonie citizens”

The event was opened by Prime Minister and Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, representative of the Head of State, Paul Biya.