International Organisation of La Francophonie - 34th Session of the Ministerial Conference

©DR

On 25 and 26 November 2017, France hosted the 34^th Ministerial Conference of the International Organisation of La Francophonie in Paris. The theme for the event was “New economies: the blue economy and the green economy as new drivers of wealth creation, social inclusion and sustainable development”.

The Conference was preceded by a meeting of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie on 24 November 2017.

The Ministerial Conference began with a minute’s silence observed in memory of the victims of the terrible attacks recently carried out in Mali and Egypt.

During the work of the session and in his address, H.E. Mr Claude Cottalorda, the Principality of Monaco’s Ambassador to France and personal representative of H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince to the International Organisation of La Francophonie, recalled the Principality of Monaco’s unwavering commitment to protecting the planet and, more specifically, the seas and oceans.

During the first day of the Conference, an extraordinary closed session on violations of refugee rights in Libya was held by delegation heads.

Following some lively discussions, the ministers representing member states reiterated the importance of Francophone values and adopted a declaration on “Migration and protecting human rights in the face of human trafficking”.

At its conclusion, the Ministerial Conference also adopted three resolutions on climate, the blue and green economies, and peace.