Welcome

Canada belongs to La Francophonie, a network of 56 States and Governments using French as a common language. The next gathering of those States and Governments will take place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on November 26-27, 2004, under the theme "La Francophonie, a community that supports sustainable development".

10th Summit of La Francophonie (In French only)

Aware of the importance of the French fact at home and determined to contribute to its influence internationally, Canada was one of the first countries to promote La Francophonie by actively participating in the creation and development of its many institutions. Canada's participation in this forum enables a true sharing of the benefits Canadians derive from the combination of linguistic duality and pluralism. It also offers a window on the world and opportunities to exert influence.

La Francophonie is a natural extension of Canada's linguistic configuration within the international sphere. While nationally, La Francophonie is a way to promote Canadian linguistic duality, assert and expand the French fact in Canada; externally, it is a natural area of influence for Canada, similar to its influence in the Americas through the Organization of American States (OAS) and in the English-speaking world through the Commonwealth.

In the federal government, management of international Francophonie matters is the responsibility of Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC). Canadian Heritage and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) also play a critical role by supporting FAC in a way to ensure Canada's active co-operation in La Francophonie. Other federal departments such as Industry Canada, Justice Canada and Environment Canada contribute with their support to FAC.

In order to make this cooperation effective, Canadian Heritage (PCH) has put in place an International Francophonie directorate (IFD) which was entrusted with the mandate to coordinate the ministerial efforts for La Francophonie.

• Role and mandate of the Department and the IFD