Conclusion of the XIIIth Summit of the Francophonie in Montreux under the theme of

Meeting for two days in Montreux under the presidency of Doris Leuthard, the delegations of the XIIIth Summit of the Francophonie, some 40 of which were represented by heads of state and government, adopted the Montreux Declaration and several resolutions. This text gives concrete expression to the Summit's discussions, which focused on the "Challenges and visions for the future of the Francophonie", and were divided into three themes: the Francophonie as a player in international relations and its place in global governance, the Francophonie and sustainable development, and the French language and education in a globalised world.

The XIIIth Summit welcomed the creation, led by Switzerland, of a Francophone Network of Excellence in the Engineering Sciences (RESCIF) under the aegis of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the formation of groups of French-speaking ambassadors called to cooperate with institutions and actors that share the objectives of the Francophonie.

Switzerland welcomes the concrete and constructive discussions that took place at the XIIIth Summit of the Francophonie and allowed the member States and governments to share best practices on democracy, rights and freedoms. The Francophonie is a forum for consultation, dialogue and influence to foster understanding of common challenges thanks to a common French language and francophone culture.

The XIIIth Montreux Summit reaffirmed the position, visibility and added value of the Francophonie in global governance and as a player in international relations. It called for a reform of global economic governance by strengthening cooperation and complementarity between the UN as the heart of global governance and economic forums such as the G20.

The public was given access to the Summit in a dozen round tables on topics such as food security, water or AIDS. This was complemented by a convivial "Village de la Francophonie" in Montreux, an audiovisual evening hosted by French-speaking television stations to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Francophonie, as well as by multiple activities organised at the Château de Chillon.

In addition, the XIIIth Summit of the Francophonie admitted five new observer states (Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Arab Emirates, Estonia, Montenegro and the Dominican Republic) into its fold. The Secretary General of the Francophonie, Abdou Diouf, was elected for a third term. Besides hosting the summit, for which Switzerland mobilised considerable resources at the federal, cantonal and communal level, Switzerland was charged with the presidency of the Summit of the Francophonie from October 2010 to October 2012 as well as the presidency of the Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie from December 2009 to December 2011. This mission is the responsibility of the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Micheline Calmy-Rey. The next Summit of the Francophonie will be hosted by the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012, in conformity with the decision taken at the Quebec Summit and confirmed by the XIIIth Summit of the Francophonie.

Further information:

Déclaration de Montreux
Résolutions du XIIIe Sommet de la Francophonie

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