Report

The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), represented by Mr. Bienvenu-Olivier Ntumba, MP, which participated in the meeting of the APF’s Young Parliamentarians Network (RJP) held in Monaco, Monaco, from 1 to 3 March 2026, is honoured to present its report.

YOUNG PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK

In addition to the host branch from Monaco and the Canadian Branch, the RJP members in attendance represented the branches from Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Montenegro, Quebec, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia and Valle d’Aosta.

The RJP meeting was opened by the chairs, Mr. Thomas Brezzo, President of the National Council of Monaco, and Ms. Marine Hugonnet-Grisoul, Chair of the Monaco Branch of the APF, standing in for Senator Elsa Schalck (France), the RJP President. The RJP then adopted the agenda, as well as the minutes and the record of decisions from the July 10, 2025, meeting of the RJP.

1. INTRODUCTION   

The meeting took place in Monaco over two consecutive days and was conducted in a spirit of dialogue, accountability and commitment to French-speaking youth.

The discussions primarily focused on:

• protecting youth from social media and excessive screen time;

• promoting the French language in the global digital environment;

• mentoring young parliamentarians; and

• addressing RJP internal governance matters.

2. DAY ONE   

Protecting youth from social media and excessive screen time

The proceedings began with an in-depth discussion with a panel of eight youth, most of whom were aged 15 to 18, including four young women and four young men.

The discussion explored digital technology use among young people and their perceptions of issues related to social media.

The primary observations were:

• keen awareness of the risks of excessive screen time;

• strong receptiveness to more structured legislative oversight;

• agreement from several participants on the need to set a minimum age for social media access; and

• demand for more accountability from digital platforms.

The fact that these positions came directly from the youth participants is a major benefit of these proceedings and reinforces the relevancy of concerted parliamentary action.

3. DAY TWO   

Discussion on the RJP’s questions for the Secretary General of the OIF

The president of every APF body can ask Ms. Louise Mushikiwabo, the Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), a question at the Annual Session in Cameroon in July 2026.

Day two was dedicated to discussing questions to ask the Secretary General of the OIF.

The discussions focused on:

• the reach and vitality of the French language;

• strategies for consolidating the francophone community; and

• the place of French in the global digital ecosystem.

Participants commented on the predominance of English in technological environments, particularly:

• on the major digital platforms; and

• in algorithmic architecture.

Proposals

• Strengthen the incorporation of French into digital systems starting at the design stage.

• Encourage more use of French in strategic technological environments.

• Promote a proactive approach to keep the francophone community linguistically competitive.

Keynote presentation: Restricting digital technology use

A special presentation was given by:

• Mr. Frédéric Deschambure, Secretary General; and

• Ms. Caroline Saint-Marc, Chargé de Mission.

This presentation reviewed the pivotal role that parents play in restricting their families’ digital technology use.

Four fundamental principles

• No screens in the morning

• No screens at mealtimes

• No screens before bed

• No screens during homework time

These principles are aimed at promoting balance between digital skills development and children’s well-being.

Mentoring young parliamentarians

Item 10, which was discussed on day two, concerned mentoring at the RJP.

The discussion highlighted:

• the importance of providing young elected officials with institutional guidance;

• the need for structured mechanisms for communicating experience; and

• parliamentary capacity building.

This topic will be examined in greater depth at the next meeting in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Governance of the RJP

The meeting concluded with an examination of the RJP governance provisions.

Participants were reminded that:

• Africa is next to hold the RJP presidency;

• one vice-presidency will be reserved for Africa; and

• another vice-presidency will be reserved for Asia.

These principles reflect a desire to ensure that RJP bodies are representative and geographically balanced.

The meeting in Monaco helped:

• stimulate reflection on ways to protect youth from excessive screen time;

• affirm the strategic importance of promoting French in the digital sphere;

• reinforce the parliamentary mentoring dynamic; and

• make progress on issues relating to governance and representativeness.

The two-day meeting demonstrated the convergence between the concerns of young people and those of elected officials, as well as a shared desire to take action in a responsible, structured way to serve francophone youth.

Canadian Branch’s contribution

In participating in the APF RJP meeting, the Canadian Branch was able to achieve its objectives, which were to:

• present the draft report on parliamentary internship and mentoring programs offered to young people by member branches and inform discussions on the subject among RJP members;

• inject a youth perspective into the work of the APF and the Canadian Branch;

• defend and promote the Canadian Branch’s interests on youth issues;

• influence the work of the RJP;

• cultivate international relationships with other participating branches; and

• promote the values of La Francophonie.

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