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RAPPORTEUR GROUP |
External relations |
GR-EXT(2025)7 |
23 September 2025[1] |
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Implementation of the Joint Declaration on the reinforcement of co-operation between the Council of Europe and the International Organisation of La Francophonie – Co-operation programme 2020-2024 Final report (November 2020 – December 2024[2]) Document prepared by the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination Item to be considered by the GR-EXT at its meeting on 14 October 2025 |
The Council of Europe and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) share the same values, namely upholding, promoting and protecting human rights, the rule of law and democracy. Accordingly, on 23 May 2008 in Strasbourg (France), the Secretaries General of the two organisations signed a Joint Declaration on the reinforcement of co-operation.
Since 2009, implementation of the Joint Declaration has been facilitated by the drafting of a co-operation programme, which is jointly updated on a regular basis by the secretariats of the Council of Europe and the OIF. The updated programme, which takes account of the respective capacities of the two organisations and of the challenges they face, is subsequently submitted to the Rapporteur Group on External Relations (GR-EXT) of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CM) and then to the Ministers' Deputies.
During their exchange of views in Strasbourg on 2 October 2019, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Secretary General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie agreed to shift the focus of co-operation to major, priority subjects for both organisations.
As a result and for reasons of pragmatism and efficiency it was decided to prepare an updated programme focusing on the following two themes, with the possibility, where appropriate, of proposing ad hoc activities on subjects of common interest:
- Strengthening rule of law institutions and democracy actors, including civil society. This co-operation is usually established in the context of the World Forum for Democracy, Schools of Political Studies, and activities related to the media and press freedom.
- Gender equality and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
At the meeting of the GR-EXT of 10 November 2020, the new programme was presented and an exchange of views was held and attended (online) by the Director of Political Affairs and Democratic Governance of the OIF.
The Deputies then took note of the Co-operation Programme at their 1389th meeting on 25 November 2020 (document GR-EXT(2020)12).
This report describes the implementation of the multi-annual co-operation programme for 2020-2024 contained in the document on the implementation of the Joint Declaration on the reinforcement of co‑operation between the Council of Europe and the OIF (hereinafter the “Joint Declaration implementation document”) and covers the period between November 2020 and December 2024. It describes both the main co-operation activities carried out over the period considered in the context of the priorities set and the ad hoc activities.
It should be noted that the implementation of the programme was initially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022. Some events had to be postponed or held online, such as the World Forum for Democracy, the 2020 round table on "The Council of Europe and the Francophonie" (cancelled at the last minute due to the lockdown in spring 2020), and the conference on "The Council of Europe and the Francophonie: co‑operation centred on common values, the example of gender equality" (held online in 2021, see below).
Subsequently, other developments affecting the priorities of the two organisations or States involved in the co‑operation[3] had also an impact on programming and implementation, which was also constrained by both organisations’ limited capacities. In 2022 and 2023, the programme was implemented somewhat more vigorously, although there were no activities in some areas of co‑operation. At the end of 2024, a very promising co‑operation was initiated between the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and the OIF within the framework of the Human Rights Education Youth Programme (HEY).
In this regard, it is important to note that the development and implementation of this co‑operation between the Council of Europe and the OIF is established as part of the ordinary operations of the two organisations without any specific budgetary resources allocated on either side.
Lastly, it is worth stressing that despite this context, more informal consultations and general activities supporting the Francophonie and multilingualism at the Council of Europe have nonetheless increased since the adoption of the Joint Declaration Implementation document (see below).
With regard to high-level dialogue, it is recalled that on 2 October 2019, both the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe met the Secretary General of the OIF, Louise Mushikiwabo, in Strasbourg. As stated above, it was agreed on this occasion, mainly for pragmatic reasons, a more limited form of co‑operation would be pursued.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe had also established regular dialogue on co‑operation activities with representatives of the Armenian Presidency of the OIF, in Paris and Strasbourg.
The current cooperation programme was then examined by the GR-EXT, with the participation of an OIF representative (see above). A preparatory exchange was held on 5 November 2020 between the secretariats’ "contact points" [4].
Following this exchange on 10 December 2020, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe took part (by videoconference) in a "Francophone Conversation" on "the death penalty in the French-speaking world: trends, challenges and prospects", organised by the OIF.
The President of GR-EXT and the Council of Europe's contact point with the OIF (Director of Political Affairs and External Relations) also held an informal online consultation on 29 November 2021 with the OIF’s Director of Political Affairs and Democratic Governance, in his role as the OIF’s contact point in Paris, and his colleagues, as part of the "Reflection process on the Council of Europe contribution to the international order and global governance, as well as to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)". This discussion highlighted various areas of co‑operation and the OIF’s role in promoting Council of Europe instruments, especially in Africa (in particular the Istanbul, Lanzarote and data protection conventions).
In addition, on 19 June 2023, the Head of the Council of Europe Liaison Office to the European Union in Brussels presented to the Group of Francophone Ambassadors to the European Union in Brussels the 2023 Report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and the results of the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe held in Reykjavík on 16 and 17 May 2023, including the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which is open to non-member States as "Associate Member". The discussion also related to the promotion of Council of Europe conventions open to non-member States and the Council of Europe's standard-setting activities.
This exchange followed the regular contacts between the Council of Europe Liaison Office and the OIF representative to the European Union in Brussels, a position occupied by Ambassador Fatou Isidora Mara Niang since 2021.
On 5 October 2023, during the discussion of the Progress review report on the implementation of the co‑operation programme covering the period November 2020 to June 2023, the GR-EXT held an online exchange of views with the representative of the OIF Secretariat, Léonie Guerlay, Senior Coordinator, Directorate of Political Affairs and Democratic Governance, who presented the co‑operation between the two organisations. Following this exchange of views, the Deputies extended the current programme by one year (until the end of 2024) and tasked the Secretariat, inter alia, with exploring the possibility of co‑operation on advocacy for the abolition of the death penalty, initially within the framework of the ad hoc interventions considered in the co‑operation programme (see below, Part III).
On 22 March 2024, during Francophonie Week, a seminar of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors and the secretariats of the Council of Europe and the OIF was organised in Strasbourg in partnership with the Permanent Representation of France to the Council of Europe as host country of the 19th Francophonie Summit, within the framework of the co‑operation programme. Informal consultations between the respective secretariats and the contact points of the two organisations also preceded the seminar. The seminar provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing co‑operation and explore new areas of potential co‑operation. The discussions highlighted a continuing strong interest in the themes arising from the refocusing of co‑operation in 2019 (rule of law/democracy; gender equality). The issue of advocacy for the abolition of the death penalty was the subject of an informal exchange with civil society in the second part of the seminar.
The high-level dialogue was then relaunched. France, host country of the 19th Francophonie Summit, invited the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, to participate in the Summit entitled “Creating, innovating and entrepreneurship in French”, held in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris on 4 and 5 October 2024. On this occasion, the Secretary General held talks with the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo. They confirmed their intention to strengthen relations between the two organisations. During the Summit, the Secretary General emphasised the desire to "celebrate the central role of the French language as a vehicle for democracy, human rights and multilateralism". He added that the Summit was an opportunity to celebrate not only the French language, but also the common values shared by the two organisations through it.
In addition, on 14 June 2024, Ambassador Hanne, OIF Representative in Brussels, paid a short visit to the Council of Europe.
The Council of Europe is required to respect the principle of parity between the Organisation’s two official languages. For instance, interpretation must be provided at meetings attended by French-speakers and English-speakers and working documents must be distributed simultaneously in the two official languages. This applies in particular to the meetings and working documents of the statutory bodies, bodies set up under a Council of Europe convention, authorities, committees or bodies set up by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe or with its authorisation, and high-level meetings.
In this context, the speeches given by Secretary General Alain Berset and former Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić at the Council of Europe are delivered in both languages, thus promoting the use of French at the Organisation. Furthermore, in response to a request, in 2017, by the Francophone ambassadors, the Council of Europe has appointed a reference person for bilingualism, who can be called on where necessary, particularly by these ambassadors.
In connection with the effective implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights, French versions of the training provided through the European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) can be accessed from all French-speaking countries. This programme is intended primarily for legal professionals but may be useful for other professionals and academics. In June 2024, 6,985 people were registered for the online courses available in French out of the 143,000 users of the platform, and 1,169 of them had successfully completed the courses and obtained their electronic certificates.
In recent years, the Francophone ambassadors have also promoted the International Francophonie Day, which is held every year on 20 March.
In 2020, to mark the International Francophonie Day and the 50th anniversary of OIF, the Permanent Representations of Armenia and France to the Council of Europe prepared a round table on "The Council of Europe and the Francophonie: co‑operation to be stepped up centring on common values”, to be held on 30 March 2020 in co‑operation with the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe and secretariat. Unfortunately, however, it had to be postponed at the last minute because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Every year since 2017, the Group of Francophone Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which brings together diplomats from many countries, who speak French and wish to promote the Francophonie’s values of dialogue and diversity, has awarded its "Un pont pour l’avenir” prize (“A Bridge for the Future"). At the same time a statement is delivered on behalf of the group and communicated to the media, with a view to promoting these values and recognising the efforts of local actors and civil society to consolidate a lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Between 2021 and 2024, these Permanent Representations have once again taken action by organising events on the themes highlighted by the cooperation programme, namely gender equality (see Action 3.1.1 below) and the media (see Action 3.2.3 below).
Furthermore, in March 2023, the Permanent Representation of France welcomed 15 delegations of elected representatives from member countries sitting on the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (Congress). In addition, the Congress held a French-speaking round table on "The role of local and regional authorities in education for democratic citizenship", moderated by the Swiss Ambassador to the Council of Europe. The round table also launched the Congress French-speakers’ Club at the invitation of the French delegation.
In 2023[5] , staff at the Council of Europe Office in Baku received French language training organised by the French Institute in Azerbaijan. The same Office initiated contacts with the Franco-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ) with a view to possible future co‑operation. Other initiatives to promote the use of French and activities organised within the framework of this co‑operation are taking place in the field offices.
As mentioned above, during Francophonie Week, a working seminar of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors and the secretariats of the Council of Europe and the OIF was organised on 22 March 2024 in partnership with the Permanent Representation of France to the Council of Europe as host country of the 19th Francophonie Summit.
In addition, the Council of Europe Secretariat has set up a working group to guide the Organisation's future language policy with a view to giving concrete expression to the principle of parity between the Organisation's two official languages. The working group, led by the reference person for bilingualism, began its work in October 2024.
In addition, the Head of the Council of Europe's Liaison Office in Geneva initiated and developed contacts with the local group of Francophone ambassadors. In particular, she organised, in collaboration with the Director General of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, a working lunch with this group on 28 November 2024 in Geneva to present and promote the Council of Europe's open conventions on the digital environment.
The purpose of the co‑operation priorities set in the implementation document of Joint Declaration (GR-EXT(2020)12) is to shift the focus the two organisation’s co‑operation programme to a limited number of priority areas, in order to enable practical actions to be developed in a spirit of greater effectiveness and complementarity.
Apart from the areas specifically mentioned below, ad hoc activities could possibly be considered on topics of common concern such as electoral law with the Venice Commission, children's rights or the protection of human rights defenders if agreed by both organisations and subject to the availability of resources.
On 19 March 2021, the Permanent Representations of Armenia and France to the Council of Europe held an online conference on "The Council of Europe and La Francophonie: co‑operation centred on common values, the example of gender equality", bringing together representatives of the diplomatic community, the Council of Europe’s Directorate of Programme Co‑ordination (DPC)[6] and the Directorate of Human Dignity, Equality and Governance, as well as the Head of the OIF’s Gender Equality Unit and the OIF Representative to the European Union.
This conference highlighted each organisation’s initiatives and the complementarity of their activities in this area, building on two framework instruments, namely the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023 and the OIF Strategy for promoting gender equality, adopted at the 17th Francophonie Summit in Yerevan in 2018. These exchanges also focused on the key role that civil society organisations can play in promoting gender equality as a prerequisite for the respect of human rights.
On 18, 19 and 20 February 2022, in Casablanca (Morocco), the OIF, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the Democratic Association of Women in Morocco held the second phase of the international seminar to support Moroccan local and regional elected women representatives on the theme "Advocacy and networking between local ang regional elected women representatives for equality and inclusive democracy".
About 60 women took part in the activities. The first phase of the seminar was held online in December 2021 and was attended by about 40 female participants and several international partners.
On 5 July 2023, the Council of Europe participated in the session on "The safety of women and girls in conflict zones" during the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie held in Tbilisi.
A sustained activity in the area of education and history teaching was carried out in Belgrade, particularly through the Group of Francophone Ambassadors set up in 2018 and with the support of the local Council of Europe Office. The co‑operation focused on educational themes, particularly on history teaching.
The Group of Francophone Ambassadors, which is a complementary platform for promoting Council of Europe standards, established a high-level dialogue with the Serbian authorities to make its members active in the process of education reform, providing the Serbian administration with their capacities and know-how. The aim of these exchanges was to incorporate the Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture into the reform.
Another dimension of the activities of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors began during the Francophonie Month in March 2020 with the organisation of a public debate, held at the French Institute in Belgrade in co‑operation with the Swiss Embassy and entitled "Working towards an Observatory on History Teaching". In March 2022, these exchanges gave rise to an initial symposium on history education held in partnership with the University of Belgrade and the French Embassy in Serbia. A second symposium was held in March 2023, where the OIF and the French Institute, among others, joined the initiative.
In June 2023, an exchange was held with the State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Education on democratic culture in formal education. This exchange was organised following the events in Belgrade on 3 and 4 May 2023 and the deadly attack on the Vladislav Ribnikar school, which has a French-speaking section.
On 11 and 12 April 2024, a symposium on history teaching was held in Belgrade in collaboration with the University of Belgrade and the French Embassy. The theme chosen was global history and North-South relations. This theme was chosen with a view to the participation of third countries in the work of the OIF, while mobilising their diplomatic representations in Belgrade. The symposium will also serve to promote the 70th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention.
In October and November 2024, the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South Centre) organised exchanges with the OIF's Directorate of Political Affairs and Democratic Governance with a view to establish specific co-operation for the development of the HEY project, particularly for French-speaking African countries. The HEY (Human Rights Education for Youth) programme is an initiative of the North-South Centre[7] which aims to strengthen young people's capacity to act in favour of human rights by improving their knowledge and understanding of European standards and other international legal frameworks. These exchanges identified priority areas for co‑operation in this work with young people, such as media literacy, sport and human rights, and personal data protection. The first HEY Programme course on media and information literacy, which began in December 2024, was developed in partnership with the OIF, drawing on its expertise, resources and networks. The OIF and the North-South Centre have agreed to continue and strengthen this co‑operation in the coming years. In addition to collaborating on the development of specific HEY courses, the OIF is expected to contribute to their implementation particularly in French-speaking African countries.
Co‑operation with the Venice Commission resulted in productive exchanges of information on constitutional law, particularly through participation in the work of the Association of French-speaking Constitutional Courts (ACCF) in the context of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice (WCCJ).
The ACCF is one of the largest groups forming the WCCJ Bureau. The Venice Commission, which acts as the secretariat for the WCCJ, is regularly invited to participate in the ACCF's annual conferences.
The ACCF has a strategic partnership with the OIF, of which it is one of sixteen institutional networks. The ACCF and the Venice Commission have long-standing ties through the 1999 Vaduz Agreement and the 2002 Djibouti Protocol, aimed at exchanging about and disseminating French-speaking constitutional case law through the Venice Commission's CODICES database.
In May 2021, the Venice Commission played an active role at the Conference of Heads of Institutions of the ACCF on the theme of "collegiality". In 2022, it took part in the 9th Congress of the ACCF, held in Dakar on the theme " Constitutional judge and human rights".
The ACCF takes part regularly in the annual meetings of the Bureau of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice, which are organised by the Venice Commission. In October 2022, the ACCF participated in the 5th Congress of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice, which was held in Bali. On this occasion, the ACCF also held a members’ meeting, in the context of the meetings of regional and linguistic groups of the World Conference.
The Secretary General of the OIF was also invited to the 5th Congress in Bali, in accordance with a decision of the Bureau of the World Conference.
The 10th Conference of Heads of ACCF Institutions was held in Paris from 13 to 15 June 2024 and organised in collaboration with the Constitutional Council of the host country. This major event brought together the presidents and representatives of more than thirty constitutional courts from French-speaking countries with the aim of strengthening legal co‑operation and exchanging views on the constitutional protection of freedom of expression. The Venice Commission participated actively in the conference.
Another aspect of the co‑operation on the rule of law should be stressed. On 12 October 2022, Mr Jean-Paul Jean, CEPEJ expert and former Chair, between 2003 and 2019, of CEPEJ Working Group on Evaluation of Judicial Systems (CEPEJ-GT-EVAL)[8] , took part in the thematic cross-sectoral discussion – Reflections and means of action for the independence of the judiciary in the French-speaking world. The workshop was organised by the OIF's Directorate of Political Affairs and Democratic Governance with a view to relaunching the discussion on the Francophonie's commitment to the judicial independence and the rule of law in a concerted manner with its member States. His contribution was entitled "How to assess the efficiency of a judicial system".
In September 2022, as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the OIF invited the Council of Europe to participate in the 6th Francophone Seminar on the UPR mechanism, held jointly by the OIF and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.
With regard to children's rights and values, the Children's Rights and Sport Values Department of the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity of the Council of Europe has initiated exchanges with the OIF to explore possibilities for future partnership in promoting the conventions on sport and the Lanzarote Convention.
The Head of the Private Office of the Secretary General of the OIF participated in the conference organised by the Council of Europe's Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (APES) entitled "Equality and diversity in Francophone sport: a reality?" on 25 July 2024. The aim of the conference was to bring together various stakeholders in Francophone sport to learn more about the initiatives implemented by their countries, institutions or organisations, and to encourage collective and effective action to strengthen inclusion and combat discrimination.
In addition, on 19 June 2023, during an exchange organised by the OIF Representation to the EU between the Head of the Council of Europe Liaison Office to the European Union in Brussels and the Group of Francophone Ambassadors based in Brussels, several ambassadors of non-member States of the Council of Europe expressed a strong interest in acceding to key conventions. In this regard, the Criminal Law and Counter-Terrorism Division of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe has established contacts with the OIF to explore synergies aimed at promoting the Council of Europe activities in the field of public health, in particular the promotion the Council of Europe Convention on the counterfeiting of medical products and similar offences involving threats to public health, known as MEDICRIME Convention.
On 25 January 2024 in Paris, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) presented the Council of Europe's standards on the fight against corruption and the GRECO evaluation mechanism at the "Conversation francophone", chaired by the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and bringing together some 50 OIF member States. This event provided an opportunity for a meeting with the OIF's Political Director, during which it was proposed that the dialogue between GRECO and the OIF be continued in order to find appropriate forms of co‑operation.
In this second priority area, the main aim is to promote democracy and extend the scope of both organisations' activities in this area. The second aim is to encourage and structure the emergence of civil society and strengthen its dialogue with governments, with an emphasis on the independence and freedom of the media.
The OIF is regularly invited to take part actively in the World Forum on Democracy. In 2020, the Forum did not take place due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Although in 2021 the OIF did not send a representative to the 9th Forum, which dealt with the application of democratic principles to the environment, in 2022, the OIF Political Commission facilitated the participation of Ms. Kalla Ankourao, Vice-President of the National Assembly of Niger and Vice-Chair of the Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, in the 10th Forum dedicated to the causes and consequences of the democratic decline and the ways of reversing it.
This participation enabled OIF’s decision-makers and other institutional partners, as well as activists from civil society organisations, to use this unique platform to debate and exchange ideas on ways of meeting the challenges faced by our democracies.
The International Organisation of La Francophonie has been invited to the 11th Forum on 6-8 November 2023 on the theme "Democracy = peace?" and to the 12th Forum on the theme "Democracy and diversity: can we overcome divisions?", held on 6-8 November 2024 in Strasbourg. The OIF has also been invited to participate in future editions of the Forum.
The OIF's cooperation with political studies schools was planned along three lines. The first is the OIF's support to strengthen the capacities of the Schools of Political Studies in Morocco and Tunisia, in particular through the establishment of specific training courses (for members of political parties and journalists in Morocco and youth CSOs in Tunisia) and through assistance for innovation in teaching methods. The second is the provision by the Council of Europe of French-speaking experts at national and regional seminars held by the Schools of Political Studies, and the third is the OIF’s support for participation of young leaders and members of civil society from sub-Saharan countries in the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg.
Starting in 2021-22, the OIF and Senghor University, in collaboration with political and civic schools in Rabat and Tunis, have set up a massive open, online course (MOOC) on "political and French-speaking school"[9] .
In this area, the Joint Declaration implementation document provided that the joint activities proposed would include OIF participation in Council of Europe training courses on fact-checking and media regulation, Council of Europe involvement in the activities of the French-speaking network of media regulators (REFRAM), and co‑operation between the two organisations to promote gender equality in the media and combat violence against women in the media.
On 21 March 2022, the permanent representations of Armenia and France to the Council of Europe organised a round table on press freedom, entitled "The work of the Council of Europe and the Francophonie on fact-checking and media regulation", during which the OIF’s Director of Political Affairs and Democratic Governance presented a flagship project on countering disinformation.
On the crucial subject of data protection, not initially included on the agenda, the French-speaking Association of Personal Data Protection Authorities (AFAPDP), of which the OIF is a major partner, is regularly represented by members of its Bureau at plenary meetings of the Consultative Committee of the Convention 108 (T-PD). The AFAPDP is one of the 16 Institutional Networks of the Francophonie (RIF), which are privileged partners of the OIF.
In October 2022, the Council of Europe took part in the annual conference of the AFAPDP in Tunis, chairing two panels on "Co‑operation in the field of data protection" and "National and international support in the field of data protection". The Council of Europe was also invited to participate in the AFAPDP's annual conference, held in Tangier on 2 and 3 October 2023.
In May 2024, an OIF assessment mission on mechanisms for regulating disinformation was deployed to Yerevan at the request of the Information and Public Relations Centre. The mission met with the Head of the Council of Europe Office to discuss the Council of Europe's activities in Armenia and identify possible synergies.
In July 2024, the Head of the Permanent Delegation of the Council of Europe to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva met with Mr Henri Monceau, Ambassador Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva and Vienna and Lead for Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence at the OIF. They discussed ways to strengthen co‑operation between the two organisations.
From 2020 to 2023, the goals set for this priority in the Joint Declaration implementation document, particularly the development of synergies with the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe and the Conference of INGOs of the Francophonie, were hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic and a major transformation in the functioning and composition of the Conference of INGOs of the Francophonie (new accreditations, new directives, election of a new Monitoring Committee, etc.).
The resolve to renew the activities to support the French-speaking civil society and the development and influence of CSOs has been reflected through a more horizontal approach, in which the role of civil society was highlighted and promoted where possible in the context of the activities described in this report.
A good example of this cross-cutting approach is the participation of the OIF in the World Forum for Democracy, where CSOs play a very active role, thus enabling enhanced exchanges between Francophone organisations, the OIF and the Council of Europe.
On 24 and 25 October 2022, the Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe made a statement at the Europe Regional Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie. This 34th meeting focused on the role of parliaments in the protection and promotion of human rights and democracy. In this context, the work of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, particularly the report on "National parliaments: guarantors of human rights in Europe" (Council of Europe, 2018), has been particularly relevant in the construction of a Francophone parliamentary network. The Europe Regional Assembly Europe of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie brought together presidents and members of parliaments of member countries in Barcelona.
The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has sent several letters to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie inviting him to appoint a representative to the Network of a Healthy Environment. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie is welcome to appoint a member and hence contribute to this network’s the activities.
Exchanges on election observation methods were held between the Election Observation and Support Division of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the OIF Secretariat on 15 June 2021. These exchanges were facilitated by the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan in the context of the OIF election mission deployed for the early parliamentary elections on 20 June 2021.
From 23 to 25 November 2023, the Council of Europe took part in the launch seminar and constituent general assembly of the Network of Francophone National Election Observers (ROEF) in Rabat (Morocco)[10]
On 23 and 24 April 2024, as part of the Venice Commission's co‑operation with the Association of Ombudsmen and Mediators of the Francophonie (AOMF)[11] , a training course organised in collaboration with the AOMF, the Mediator of Morocco and the Venice Commission on "The best interests of the child" took place in Rabat.
From 16 to 18 October 2024, the Venice Commission participated in the 12th Congress of AOMF members entitled "Looking ahead to the next decade: the challenges for ombudsmen in defending the rule of law" in Quebec City.
In November 2023, the Director of the Institute of the Francophonie for Education and Training (IFEF-OIF) participated in the World Forum for Democracy, organised by the Council of Europe every year in Strasbourg.
The overall coordination of technical co‑operation carried out by the Council of Europe falls within the remit of the Directorate of Programme Co‑ordination (DPC), which checks that activities match the strategic goals set by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CM) and encourages the Secretariat to implement activities both in Strasbourg and in the field through the Council of Europe's Offices. This co‑ordination is also facilitated by the Directorate of Political Affairs and External Relations, whose director is the contact point between the two organisations.
Activities are implemented by the Council of Europe's "major administrative entities" with the relevant area of expertise. In accordance with the Council of Europe's process for the decentralised implementation of technical assistance and co‑operation, its external offices play a key role in co‑ordinating and supporting the implementation of activities in the field.
Co‑operation follows a "multi-institutional approach", which allows different Council of Europe institutions and bodies to target government stakeholders, parliaments, civil society and independent governance bodies.
The Council of Europe also applies a human rights-based approach at all levels and stages of its activities. Its acquis, including its legal instruments and institutions, combined with the principles of participation and inclusion (including gender-balanced participation and dialogue with civil society), equality and non-discrimination, accountability and transparency, and access to information, brings further added value to its activities. The Council of Europe Human Rights Approach Practical Guide for Co-operation Projects contributes to the improved application of this approach in co-operation activities.
As a component of this human rights approach, the Council of Europe emphasises gender mainstreaming throughout its project activities, in line with its Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023. The Council of Europe Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit for Co-operation Projects enhances the implementation of the gender dimension in the context of co‑operation activities between the OIF and the Council of Europe.
Similarly, the Council of Europe promotes the active participation of civil society throughout the implementation of its activities.Inclusiveness is approached in accordance with the Guidelines on civil society organisations' participation in Council of Europe's co-operation activities.
In May 2022, resources for civil society providing easy access to the Practical Guide for Civil Society, were published online by the Council of Europe. This guide, entitled "Working with the Council of Europe: a practical guide for civil society", provides in-depth information on various forms of access, co‑operation, input, participation and/or partnership that are possible and relevant for NGOs.
The Roadmap on the Council of Europe's engagement with civil society 2024-2027 presents proposals for developing a policy of meaningful engagement with civil society as a whole, including youth civil society, in all aspects of the Organisation's intergovernmental work (standard-setting, monitoring and co‑operation activities).
The Council of Europe is also committed to protecting children from harm and ensuring that children's right to protection is fully guaranteed and implemented in accordance with its Strategy for the Rights of the Child 2022-2027. The Council of Europe "Speak Up" Policy on reporting wrongdoing and protection from retaliation, that entered into force on 1 June 2023, forms part of the Council of Europe's ethical framework.
In view of the implementation of this co‑operation programme during the reporting period, the following conclusions can be drawn:
- The flexibility of the co‑operation between the Council of Europe and the OIF made it possible to adjust some of the measures proposed during the Covid-19 crisis, making particular use of online discussions. However, because of the specific nature of the activities described herein, some activities could not take place or had to be postponed in view of the importance of face-to-face discussion about them. For instance, measures to promote the role of CSOs, the 2020 World Forum for Democracy and the activities planned with Schools of Political Studies in Tunisia and Morocco were seriously affected by the pandemic.
- Experience also shows that the lack of human and financial resources specifically allocated by the two organisations to the co‑operation programme makes implementation and follow-up somewhat fragile. This fragility is reflected in difficulties in programming co‑operation, which remains dependent on initiatives taken by actors of the two organisations involved at different levels and on the opportunities opened up by initiatives financed from other sources.
This co‑operation programme supports partners’ and stakeholders’ efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular:
- The priority theme "Human rights and the rule of law" established in the programme, and in particularly its "Education for human rights and citizenship" component, contributed to SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The component "Gender equality as an integral part of human rights in a democratic society" under this same priority theme contributed to SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- Under the second priority theme, "Democracy", the component "Education for human rights and citizenship" contributed to SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CM) is the institution in charge of, through its Rapporteur Group on External Relations (GR-EXT), the overall assessment of the results of the co‑operation programme contained in the Joint Declaration implementation document.
The Council of Europe designs and proposes activities in areas where it has sound expertise and produces real added value. This joint co‑operation is established with the OIF on the basis of high-level dialogue between the two partners and in the light of its organisation’s knowledge of needs on the ground.
The Council of Europe regularly presents reports on the progress and results of co‑operation between the two organisations. For this purpose, the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination (DPC) submits this final report to the CM at the end of the co‑operation programme implementation period.
On the basis of the progress report submitted on 5 October 2023 and this report, the Council of Europe and the OIF will assess together the progress made in implementing the Joint Declaration through high-level exchanges and technical contacts in order to establish the next stage of co‑operation between the two organisations.
[1] This document has been classified restricted until examination by the Committee of Ministers.
[2]. The final report covers the period up to 2024, following the CM's decision in October 2023 (see PART II).
[3]. The Council of Europe was not invited by the host State to the 28th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the OIF, held in Djerba (Tunisia) on 19-20 November 2022 on the theme "Connectivity in diversity: digital technology as a vector of development and solidarity in the French-speaking area". However, the Council of Europe was represented at the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the OIF, held on 11 and 12 October 2018 in Yerevan (Armenia), on the theme "Living Together".
[4]. The Joint Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation provides for the appointment of a "liaison point" within each of the two organisations; these are currently held by the Director of Political Affairs and External Relations of the Council of Europe and the Director of Political Affairs and Democratic Governance of the OIF.
[5]. [These training courses took place from 15 May to 31 July 2023. Information provided by the Head of Office on 18 March 2024].
[6]. Formerly called the "Office of the Directorate General of Programmes (ODGP)".
[7]. More information is available on the North-South Centre website: https://www.coe.int/fr/web/north-south-centre/hey.
[8]. Mr Jean is also Secretary General of AHJUCAF, the Association of Francophone Supreme Courts, supported by the OIF. At the many meetings and conferences held across the world by AHJUCAF, the activities of the CEPEJ are frequently mentioned or used, thus giving them a high profile.
[9]. In June 2024, the Tunis School of Politics withdrew from the partnership.
[10]. Source: OIF website.
[11]. This is one of the six institutional networks of the Francophonie, along with the Association of French-speaking Constitutional Courts (ACCF), in which the Venice Commission participates.