15th Francophonie Summit with the Spotlight on Women and Childhood!

DAKAR, Senegal, October 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

On November 29^th and 30^th, 2014, International Conferences Centre, Dakar, Senegal   

On November 29^th and 30^th, Senegal will host the 15^th Summit for Heads of State and Governments of countries which have the French language in common on the theme of "Women and Children in the Francophonie: Peacemakers and Key-players for Development". 

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141008/709272 )
 

Over two days, Dakar will welcome 77 Heads of State and their respective delegations as well as representatives of international organisations, NGOs, key players in economic, cultural, and social affairs.   

"The Dakar Summit will mark a turning point for the Francophonie both in terms of organisation and in its intellectual, cultural, and political content," stressed Macky Sall, President of the Senegalese Republic, noting, "We are solidly looking towards the future, with the participation of the Senegalese society, in order to meet the challenges we are facing  both culturally and economically."   

"La Francophonie's Women and Youth: Vectors for peace, actors of development"  

On the Summit's programme, during which the new Secretary General of the OIF will be chosen, other topics will include setting out the strategic directions of the Francophonie and adopting the next ten-year strategic plan: women and young people.

Through these themes, which were chosen at the end of the 14^th Francophonie Summit, participants will reflect on the major role of women and youth, particularly within the current context of economic problems and political tensions. They will therefore set out practical initiatives to deal with social, economic, and political challenges.

Some facts and statistics about Francophonie  

• OIF, founded in 1970, comprises 77 nations or governments members or observers of the OIF which have the French language in common
• The Heads of State Summit meets every two years to decide on the admission of new members, to set out the strategic directions of the Francophonie with a view to ensuring its international influence, in the framework of a ten-year strategic plan, and to elect the Secretary General of the Francophonie.
• 220 million, is the number of French speaking people around the world (according to the Observatoire de la langue française), estimated to rise to 700 million in 2050, 85% of whom will live in Africa (NAtixis, 2014).
• On the occasion of this 15^th Francophonie Summit, Senegal will officially open the International Conferences Centre of Dakar (CICD).

This is a collaborative process involving all the actors of Senegalese society   

Organising the Francophonie Summit, entrusted to a different host country for each edition, represents a valuable political and economic opportunity as well as the international visibility it bestows.

To rise to this challenge, Senegal has been implementing a significant preparedness plan which aims to ensure the involvement of all key players within Senegal, in collaboration with the OIF.

To this end, they have been meeting regularly during the past year via different committees in charge of planning the programme's themes as well as the logistical organisation of the Summit under the auspices of the Délégation Générale de la Francophonie (General Delegation for Francophonie).

A scientific committee, chaired by Hadj Hamidou Kassé and made up of members belonging to senior management, academia, and civil society, is overseeing the drafting of the content of the Summit.

Among the numerous meetings organised in the framework of the programme's themes preparation:

• The international colloquium "Women and Young People, an Emerging Force: Francophone Issues, Challenges, and Perspectives", from September 17^th to 19^th,
• The Youth Forum on October 9^th and 10^th,
• The colloquium on Women, in partnership with the Ministry for Women the Francophone network on male-female equality, on October 16^th and 17^th,
• And from October 29^th to 31^st, "From Original Inspiration to Current Challenges: the Routes of Modernity".

Francophonie: A Cultural, Social, and Economic Zone   

Alongside the Summit, Senegal will organise numerous cultural events for the participants, as well as setting up the "Francophonie Village", a zone dedicated to meetings and exchanges where OIF members and key players from the Francophonie will present their activities. Organised into 4 areas, institutional one for the OIF States, governments and operators, a services area for organisations and companies, and also a cultural area with events, concerts, and exhibitions, it will be open to the public from November 24^th to 30^th  2014 inside Dakar's Grand Théâtre National.

Lastly, carrying on the continuity of the Summit and always with the aim of having Francophonie at the heart of the action and challenges of the 21st century, Senegal will organise the Francophone Economic Forum on December 1^st and 2^nd.

With more than 7,200 billion dollars of GDP generated by the 77 OIF Member States and governments, there will also be the opportunity to share thoughts on how to revitalise this economic potential and on Francophonie as an economic motor, supporting the crucial role that Senegal plays in the development of Francophone Africa and of Africa as a whole.

For further practical information about the 15^th Francophonie Summit: http://www.francophoniedakar2014.sn/

You can also follow what's happening with the Summit on: @SFDK2014 and join the Facebook group on: DAKAR 2014!