Cambodia chairs Francophonie ministerial as decision on next chief delayed

PARIS, July 8, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia has chaired an extraordinary ministerial meeting of La Francophonie in Paris, where member states interviewed candidates for the organisation’s next secretary‑general but agreed to defer a decision until the summit in Phnom Penh later this year.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn presided over the 47th Extraordinary Session of the Ministerial Conference on June 30. Cambodia currently holds the presidency of the ministerial body ahead of hosting the 20th Francophonie Summit on November 15–16.

According to the foreign ministry, the meeting focused on hearing four candidates seeking to lead the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) for the 2027–2030 term.

They included Mauritania’s Coumba Bâ, Romania’s former prime minister Dacian Julien Cioloș, Juliana Amato Lumumba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and incumbent secretary‑general Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda.

Candidates outlined priorities ranging from promoting Francophone values and cultural diversity to advancing economic cooperation, digital transformation and youth engagement.

Following the presentations, ministers met behind closed doors and, at Luxembourg’s proposal, agreed to brief their heads of state before further consideration. The conference unanimously decided to postpone the choice until the Phnom Penh summit.

On the sidelines, Prak Sokhonn met Quebec’s Minister of International Relations Christopher Skeete to discuss strengthening cooperation within the Francophone community and preparations for the summit.

He encouraged support for side events such as the Village de la Francophonie and FrancoTech.