Report

The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch that participated in the Bureau meeting and the Working Group on the Revision of the Statutes (WG) of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) held in Podgorica, Montenegro, between January 29 and January 31, 2026, is honoured to present its report.

The Canadian delegation consisted of Marie-France Lalonde, Member of Parliament (MP) and Chair of the Canadian Branch of the APF (CAPF), Joël Godin, MP, Chair of the APF Parliamentary Affairs Committee, and Julie Pelletier, Administrative Secretary.

The Bureau brought together about 20 francophone parliamentarians from five continents. In addition to the Canadian Branch, the following branches were represented: Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Benin, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), France, Laos, Luxembourg, Morocco, Mauritania, Monaco, Montenegro, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Romania, Senegal and Switzerland. Representatives from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the Association des secrétaires généraux des parlements francophones (ASGPF) also took part in the proceedings.

MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THE REVISION OF THE STATUTES

The mandate of the WG is to review and propose amendments to the APF statutes and other related administrative and financial documents. It began consideration of the first draft of the Service Code as stipulated in article 9.2 of the APF By-laws in April 2025. The Code is intended to document the rights, obligations and duties of APF staff members. The first draft benefited from the support of the Réseau francophone d’éthique et de déontologie parlementaires and sets out the framework for preventing conflicts of interest, the use of corporate resources, the rules governing the acceptance of gifts and sponsored travel, as well as the prevention of harassment and discrimination. The Code also establishes mechanisms for reporting and processing complaints. This Service Code originated from a suggestion made by the Canadian Branch during the WG’s meeting in November 2023.

Ms. Lalonde continued the work undertaken by her predecessors in the Canadian Branch. She highlighted the benefits of further developing the concepts of harassment and discrimination already included in the draft, with the aim of ensuring a healthy, respectful and safe work environment. She proposed adopting the definitions contained in the Network of Women Parliamentarians Policy Framework adopted by the APF in July 2022 and underlined the added value of this policy, should the Secretariat wish to adopt a more comprehensive policy on the subject. She also suggested providing for a mechanism to review the Code and expressed her support for a legal examination of the compatibility of its provisions with French law and with the legislation of the parliaments that make staff available, which she considers necessary.

The WG completed its review of the Code and agreed to submit it to the Bureau at its meeting on January 30 and 31, 2026.

BUREAU MEETING

The proceedings began with speeches by Andrija Mandić, President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Anđela Vojinović, Chair of the Montenegrin Branch of the APF and Hilarion Etong, President of the APF.

Bureau and APF membership

After adopting the amended agenda for the proceedings and the minutes of the Bureau meeting held in Paris, France, on July 9, 2025, the participants took note of certain changes in the composition of the Bureau, with the appointments of: Michel Wolter, Luxembourgish Member of Parliament and Treasurer of the APF; Guillaume Chevrollier, French Senator and Chair of the APF Political Committee; Aimé Boji Sangara, President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Jérôme Patrick Achi, President of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire; and Carlo Sommaruga, Member of the Swiss Council of States and Chair of the Swiss Branch.

The Bureau considered two applications for membership as observers from the Arab Parliament and the National Union of State Legislators and Legislative Assemblies of Brazil (UNALE). If approved, the applications will be ratified at the Bureau and then during the plenary session at the 51st Session in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in July 2026.

Joël Godin (Canada) spoke in support of UNALE’s candidacy and shared what he had observed during a parliamentary diplomacy mission to Costa Rica in October 2025, namely that there was genuine potential for APF expansion in South America.

Francine Landry (New Brunswick), Regional Delegate for the Americas, took the floor to request that a working group composed of the regional delegates meet to determine the allocation of the two vacant seats at the Bureau.

The Bureau decided to submit membership applications to the Political Committee for instructions and recommendations. It also tasked the Political Committee with initiating a review of the conditions for APF membership and the possible introduction of a membership fee for observers.

Political debate

The Delegate General, Amélia Lakrafi (France), launched the political debate on the geopolitical situation in the Balkans. The debate was introduced by Ivan Leković, Ambassador for Cyber‑Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, and French historian and journalist Jean‑Arnault Derens. The debate identified the current challenges related to regional integration, political stability and development; put these issues in perspective with those of other regions; reflected on the role of La Francophonie as a partner in the region; and examined the contributions of parliamentary diplomacy to conflict prevention, democratic consolidation and regional cooperation.

Several branch representatives took the floor, and the debate reaffirmed the APF’s commitment to crisis prevention, as well as to the rule of law and civil liberties. Marie-France Lalonde (Canada) underscored the importance Canada places on initiatives aimed at strengthening stability and democratic institutions, both in the Balkans and elsewhere in the francophone world. She also stated that Canada supports the efforts of Balkan countries to advance political, economic and institutional reforms with a view to their accession to the European Union.

Speech from the OIF Administrator

Delegates heard from OIF Administrator Caroline St-Hilaire, who announced that the next Summit of La Francophonie will be held in Cambodia on November 15 and 16, 2026, on the theme of peace. She presented a summary of the OIF Ministerial Conference that took place between November 18 and 20, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda. She also highlighted the strong relationship between the OIF and the APF, as well as the thematic areas of APF cooperation activities that the OIF intends to fund through its 2026 grant of $570,000, notably initiatives relating to women, youth, sustainable development, peace, stability, and issues linked to artificial intelligence. Finally, she was pleased with the APF’s utilization rate of the 2025 grant, which exceeded 90%.

2025 Activity Report of the Delegate General

The Delegate General presented the 2025 activity report to the members of the Bureau, who granted her discharge.

2026 Draft Budget

Michel Wolter (Luxembourg), Treasurer, presented the APF’s financial situation for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, and proposed a balanced budget for 2026, which includes various cost‑reduction measures and an increase in membership contributions. A debate took place on the various measures proposed and several branches suggested other ways of reducing expenditures.

Marie‑France Lalonde pointed out that, under Canada’s presidency of the APF from 2022 to 2024, the issue of the APF’s legal status had been raised, and that obtaining the status of an international organization could offer certain advantages, including a significant reduction in payroll costs through exemptions from taxes and social security contributions. She suggested that the Bureau provide clear direction to the Secretariat in order to initiate the necessary steps.

Francine Landry (New Brunswick), Regional Delegate for the Americas, took the floor to ask whether the branches in the Americas Region were prepared to contribute to the effort to restore the APF’s budgetary balance, while emphasizing the need for rigorous financial management. She cautioned the members of the Bureau that such an increase could have implications for the participation of certain branches and reiterated their wish that, starting in 2027, contributions be re‑indexed to inflation.

After several exchanges on the amount of the increase in contributions, the members of the Bureau were invited to vote.

The Bureau then adopted the following measures:

• The closing of the accounts for the financial year ending December 31, 2025;

• The adoption of the treasurer’s report and draft budget, as amended, for 2026[1]; and

• A 15% increase in contributions for all branches;

• Funding for activities through the Fonds de soutien à la Francophonie parlementaire in the amount of €51,500;

• Exceptional postponement of the Prix Senghor-Césaire and the Network of Women Parliamentarians;

• Repeal of the 10% surcharge system applied to the Seychelles Branch since 2020;

• An amendment to the Procedures Manual to provide that meal expenses for parliamentarians participating in international meetings are to be covered by their respective branches;

• A revision of the Statutes to introduce a contribution for observer branches;

• The cancellation of the contribution calls issued to the Haitian Branch for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, during which the Haitian Parliament was not in session; and

• The initiation of measures to optimize payroll costs.

Parliamentary cooperation program

Joël Godin (Canada), Chair of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee, presented the three dozen parliamentary cooperation measures chosen for 2026 from the 60 requests received from 25 different branches.

The APF 2026 Parliamentary Cooperation Program was adopted by the Bureau.

Strategic framework action plan

The Delegate General followed up on the 2023–2030 Strategic Framework Action Plan, including the assessment of the 2025 Plan.

The Bureau took note of the implementation of the APF 2023–2030 Strategic Framework and decided that it would now be presented as part of the activity report.

Adoption of reports on the work of committees, networks and regional delegates

Each group presented an overview of its activities in 2025.

Mame Diarra Beye (Senegal), Chair, spoke on behalf of the Economic, Social and Environmental Affairs Committee, and Laurent Wherli (Switzerland), Chair, spoke on behalf of the Education, Culture and Communications Committee. Joël Godin (Canada) presented the work of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee: legislative frameworks on whistleblowers; evaluation of the APF’s cooperation programs; the ethical and professional responsibilities of parliamentarians regarding disinformation; the role of parliaments in promoting the French language; the use of artificial intelligence in parliaments and francophone public institutions; and the strengthening of tools for evaluating public policies and their effectiveness.

As for the networks, Viviane Teitelbaum (France), Chair, spoke on behalf of the Network of Women Parliamentarians, and Marine Hugonnet-Grisoul (Monaco) on behalf of the Youth Network.

As for the regional delegates, Sanya Praseuth (Laos) spoke for the Asia and Pacific Region, Anne Lambelin (Belgium) for the European Region, Francine Landry (New Brunswick) for the Americas Region and Siegfreid Étamé Massoma (Cameroon) for the African Region.

The reports were unanimously adopted.

Review of the political situation in francophone countries

Guillaume Chevrollier (France), Chair of the Political Committee, presented the key developments regarding the most concerning political situations in the francophone world, particularly the context in which the countries subject to the APF’s democratic vigilance mechanisms are operating: parliaments that are suspended (Syria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Haiti), in transition (Gabon, Guinea, Chad), or under alert (Central African Republic). He also reported on the situations in Madagascar, Guinea‑Bissau, the African Great Lakes region, Cambodia and Ukraine.

The members of the Bureau unanimously adopted the report on complex political situations in francophone countries and decided to lift the alert on the Central African Republic.

Relations with the Association des secrétaires généraux des Parlements francophones

Siegfried Peters, Secretary General of the Quebec National Assembly and President of the Association des secrétaires généraux des parlements francophones (ASGPF), outlined the Association’s activities and cooperation activities with the APF. He praised the excellent relationship between the two organizations and reiterated the ASGPF’s willingness to continue supporting parliamentarians based on the APF’s needs.

Honours awarded by the APF

Recalling the history of the creation of the Prix Geoffroy-Dieudonné, Joël Godin noted that Valérie Checketts, an official at the French National Assembly, was the tenth recipient. Ms. Checketts will be doing her internship in the Gabonese Parliament.

This agenda item ended with a discussion on the Ordre de la Pléiade. In addition to the Secretariat General, nine branches submitted nominations and promotions (Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels, Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Jura, Ontario, Puducherry, Quebec and Chad). The Ordre de la Pléiade Investigative Committee, made up of four external personalities and three members of the Secretariat General, met in January 2026 to carefully review each nomination.

The amended list of Ordre de la Pléiade recipients was adopted by the Bureau.

Institutional activities

President Etong (Cameroon) gave a brief presentation on the programming planned for 2026 and invited the members of the Bureau to the 51st session of the APF, which will be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from July 7 to 12, 2026. Ms. Lalonde (Canada) presented a video where the Honourable Raymonde Gagné and the Honourable Francis Scarpeleggia, the Speaker of the Senate of Canada and the Speaker of the House of Commons respectively, invited their colleagues to hold their January 2027 winter meeting in Ottawa.

The programming was adopted as presented, and the Bureau took note of the Canadian Branch’s hosting of the winter Bureau meeting in January 2027 in Ottawa (Canada), as well as the Luxembourg Branch’s hosting of the Annual Meeting in July 2027.

Personnel Code

Guillaume Chevrollier (France) presented the Personnel Code of the APF General Secretariat, the latest document drawn up by the Working Group on the Revision of the Statutes of the APF created five years ago. He emphasized that the Code was an essential step in strengthening the internal functioning of the APF’s General Secretariat, enabling it to establish a clear, coherent and shared framework based on the principles of professionalism, loyalty, integrity and respect.

The Personnel Code of the APF General Secretariat was adopted.

Other business

The Senegalese Branch presented a motion of thanks to the Parliament of Montenegro and to the Montenegrin Branch of the APF.

The minutes of the Bureau’s decisions were adopted.

BILATERAL MEETINGS

On the margins of the Bureau meeting, the parliamentarians held several bilateral meetings.

Meeting with Hilarion Etong, President of the APF, and Amélia Lakrafi, Delegate General of the APF

During this meeting, Ms. Lalonde, as the Americas Region Conference of Branch Chairs, and Ms. Landry, Regional Delegate for the Americas, discussed the Region’s priority files with the highest authorities of the APF: Hilarion Etong, President of the APF, and Amélia Lakrafi, Delegate General of the APF. The issues of contribution increases, Haiti’s arrears, and the number of seats held by the Region on the Bureau were among the topics discussed.

Meeting with Periša Kastratović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Periša Kastratović outlined the four main priorities of the Montenegrin government: economic diversification, accession to the European Union, strengthened relations with the OIF and the promotion of La Francophonie, as well as its intention to position itself as a pillar of regional stability. The State Secretary expressed his wish to deepen bilateral relations with Canada, with which Montenegro already cooperates in the fields of defence, agriculture and education.

Interview with Anđela Vojinović, Member of Parliament, Chair of the Montenegrin Branch of the APF

Anđela Vojinović highlighted the various initiatives to promote La Francophonie within the Parliament of Montenegro, including making French‑language courses available to parliamentarians and staff, as well as creating an Office of Francophone Affairs. Ongoing projects and opportunities to expand La Francophonie in Montenegro were also discussed.

Interview with the Women’s MP Group of Montenegro

Ms. Lalonde met with three members of the Women’s MP Group (Group): Zdenka Popović, Vice-President of the Parliament of Montenegro and Co-chair; Radinka Ćinćur, Co-chair; and Branka Marković, member. Together, they discussed the Group’s operations and its various objectives: promoting gender equality at all levels of the decision‑making process; encouraging women’s participation in politics and public life; improving the status of women in all spheres of society; and fostering and promoting solidarity, humanity, volunteerism and mutual support. Priority gender‑equality issues in Montenegro, as well as the current state of women’s representation in politics, were also discussed. Ms. Lalonde talked about the role of the National Liberal Women’s Caucus, the work of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women, and Bill C-16, which was introduced in December 2025 and deals with gender-based violence. Opportunities for collaboration between the Group, the Committee and the Caucus were raised.

Institut français du Monténégro

The Institut français du Monténégro offers general‑purpose and professional French courses, as well as a francophone media library for Montenegrin citizens. The delegation discussed the level of demand for French courses in Montenegro and, more broadly, interest in the French language and culture. Opportunities to make French‑language education more accessible from the primary level in Montenegro were also discussed.

Centre for Monitoring and Research

Nemanja Stankov, Head of the Department for Public Policy Research, and Andrea Rovčanin, Project Assistant, presented the Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI), a non-governmental and non-profit organization established in 2000 to provide support and expertise for monitoring the transition process in Montenegro as well as election observation in Europe.

They spoke with the Canadian delegation about the project Challenging Gender Bias and Enhancing Women's Political Participation in Montenegro through Public Awareness, Capacity-Building Trainings, and Gender Representation Advocacy. Funded by the Government of Canada in the amount of $22,000 through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, the project aims to strengthen the political participation of women aged 18 to 45 by addressing systemic barriers through public awareness, capacity‑building and inclusive policy dialogue.

Interview with the Francophone Employment Office at the University of Montenegro

Jovana Janinovic provided an overview of the state of Francophonie‑related learning in Montenegro and briefed the delegation on the mandate of the Francophone Employment Office at the University of Montenegro. Created in 2022 in collaboration with the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, it aims to improve the employability and professional integration of Montenegrin students, develop their entrepreneurship and strengthen their professional skills. The delegation discussed other activities at the Centre, such as events featuring French and language classes. 

Travel Expenses

Travel expenses associated with this activity can be found in the delegation’s financial report. This report is available in the Financial Disclosure section of the Parliamentary Diplomacy website.

Respectfully submitted,

Marie-France Lalonde, M.P.

Chair, Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie