Smiafrica
Rajae el moutaouakkil
Today, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, the city of Lyon, France officially launched the General Assembly and Francophone Economic Meeting, organized by the International Association of Francophone Regions (AIRF) in partnership with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region. The three-day event gathers local and regional officials, government representatives, business leaders, and development stakeholders from across the Francophone world.
The opening day began with the welcoming of delegations, followed by a session focused on territorial development policies, highlighting the importance of leveraging natural areas and cultural heritage. In the afternoon, AIRF’s permanent commissions met to discuss key topics including youth, training and culture, and environment, water, energy, and climate. The day will end with an official dinner attended by notable figures such as Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the Francophonie, Laurent Wauquiez, President of AIRF, and various ministers and international development leaders.
On Thursday, June 5, the focus will shift to economic discussions with the opening session titled: « Are our economic challenges converging? ». Featured speakers include Jonas Daou (Togo), Tarak Cherif (Tunisia), Papa Amadou Sarr (AFD), Annemijn Perrin (Digital Skills), among others. Additional panels will cover topics such as health systems in Africa, digital transformation and AI, and project financing, alongside dedicated sessions spotlighting development models from Benin and Romania.
The summit will conclude on Friday, June 6, with workshops addressing SME financing, agriculture and agribusiness development, and regionalization and decentralization, with country presentations from Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Togo.
This high-level summit reflects a shared commitment to building a more cohesive and collaborative Francophone space—rooted in territorial solidarity, sustainable development, and human-centered investment—capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly changing global landscape.
