The history of La Francophonie dates back to the early 20th century. Francophones from developed and developing countries, sharing social concerns and professional interests, felt the need to exchange ideas, experiences, and projects. Among others, this produced associations of writers (1925), journalists (1950), jurists (1964), and French teachers (1969). At the same time, the political representatives of French-speaking countries also sought to strengthen their ties. The Conference of National Education Ministers of French-Speaking Countries (CONFEMEN) [Conférence des ministres de l'Éducation des pays d'expression française], created in 1960 and headquartered in Dakar, is the oldest of La Francophonie’s formal institutions.

In 1970, La Francophonie began to grow rapidly. Institutions such as the International Association of Mayors and Officials of Partly or Wholly French-Speaking Capital Cities and Metropolises [Association internationale des maires francophones] (1979) and TV5 (1984) took their place alongside other new institutions, such as the University Agency of La Francophonie [Agence universitaire de la Francophonie] (1961) and the Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers [Conférence des ministres de la Jeunesse et des Sports] (1969), gradually extending La Francophonie’s influence. In 1986, 42 heads of state and government took part in the first Francophone Summit, twice as many members as presided over the foundation of the ACCT. In 1987, at the Québec Summit, it was decided that the Summit would be held every two years.

The Cotonou Summit (1995) marked a major turning point. The heads of participating states and governments restructured the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) [Organisation internationale de la Francophonie] and made it a full-fledged political institution. They created the position of Secretary General of La Francophonie. Its first incumbent was the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, followed in 2002 by the former president of Senegal, Abdou Diouf. Canada played a leading role in this restructuring and hosted the Moncton Summit in 1999.

More recently, at the Ouagadougou Summit in Burkina Faso (2004), 49 heads of full-fledged member states and governments adopted a ten-year strategic framework. The framework established the four main focuses of the cooperation programs of the OIF and its direct operators until 2015. Once again, Canada was a prime mover. This major reform was completed one year later when the new Charter of La Francophonie was adopted at the Ministerial Conference in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

DID YOU KNOW? French geographer Onésisme Reclus (1837–1906) coined the term "francophonie" in 1880 to define the community of persons and countries using the French language for various purposes. This term gradually replaced “francitude”, “French-language community”, and even “French Commonwealth”, the terms used until the mid-1960s. International Day of La Francophonie is celebrated on March 20 each year, to commemorate the foundation of the Agence de coopération culturelle et technique, an initiative by three heads of state: Léopold Sédar Senghor of Senegal, Habib Bourguiba of Tunisia, and Hamani Diori of Niger. (Source: OIF website)