Ignazio Cassis and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider meet secretary general of International Organisation of La Francophonie
Bern, 04.06.2026 — Thirty years after joining the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF), Switzerland has reaffirmed its commitment to the organisation at a time of increasing geopolitical polarisation and financial constraints. At a meeting in Bern with the secretary general of the IOF, Louise Mushikiwabo, federal councillors Ignazio Cassis and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider stressed the need to support a useful and effective IOF, while continuing to invest in diversity in language and culture. In particular, they stressed the importance of language learning as a vector for dialogue and mutual understanding, and highlighted the challenges of digital governance.
The visit to Bern by Ms Mushikiwabo coincides with the 30th year of Switzerland's membership of La Francophonie and the run-up to the next IOF summit, which will take place in Cambodia in November. To mark Ms Mushikiwabo's visit to Bern, a ceremony was held at the Swiss National Library, attended by Ms Baume-Schneider and various French-speaking ambassadors, parliamentarians and prominent figures committed to La Francophonie and multilingualism.
On the fringes of these celebrations, Mr Cassis and Ms Baume-Schneider discussed with Ms Mushikiwabo the challenges facing La Francophonie in an international context characterised by polarisation, mistrust, and scepticism surrounding multilateralism. They underscored their shared interest in preserving an efficient, relevant and useful organisation for the 90 states and governments which are members of the IOF. Louise Mushikiwabo thanked Switzerland for its stalwart support and for defending a demanding and pragmatic approach to multilateralism.
Since joining the IOF in 1996, Switzerland has viewed La Francophonie as a valuable platform for dialogue and a means of promoting democracy, peace, and human rights through language diversity and the exchange of ideas. The IOF also has great potential to provide specific responses to contemporary challenges, particularly those linked to technological developments. Bearing this in mind, strengthening collaboration with International Geneva, which is renowned for its expertise in digital governance, is a particularly promising area, thanks to the IOF's digital resource centre, an exchange platform created in 2024 at Switzerland's instigation, with the aim of supporting education and encouraging technological innovation in the IOF's member countries.
The IOF currently has 53 member states, five associate members and 32 observer states, representing more than a third of the UN's member states. For 2026, Switzerland's statutory contribution to the IOF is CHF 4.1 million, making it the third largest contributor after France and Canada. In addition to La Francophonie, Switzerland participates in various initiatives that promote multilingualism and cultural diversity, such as the Community of Italian Speakers, Romansh Language Week, and similar meetings organised in relation to the German and Portuguese languages.
Switzerland in the International Organisation of La Francophonie