Visiting Quebec as part of an economic mission, the secretary general of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) Louise Mushikiwabo wanted to draw a line under the governance problems which have plagued the grouping of French-speaking countries.
“We are in a better place than where we were a few years ago,” said the secretary general in reference to the allegations of internal harassment that shook the OIF last year.
A survey revealed that 44% of the organization’s employees said they had been victims of moral harassment at work, and 9% of sexual harassment. Following the unveiling of this data, Canada decided not to provide funding of $3 million to the OIF.
“I arrived at the head of the organization in 2019, with a series of reforms, including human resources management, which includes living together in the workplace. There was a lot of work to be done. I don’t know if it’s impatience with results that caused these criticisms, but we are far from where we were a year ago,” said Mr.me Mushikiwabo, at a press conference in Montreal.
The OIF has since adopted a new policy for preventing and combating harassment.
“As secretary general and head of the institution, I have been very clear in my words since my arrival: there would be zero tolerance for harassment and the undermining of living together. Since then, we have adopted and taken the time to explain to our staff our new policy against harassment of all kinds,” said the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, who succeeded Michaëlle Jean on 1er January 2019.
“I believe that we can always improve governance,” she continued. I am the fourth general secretary of the organization, I would have liked this to have been done from the first secretary, the second or the third. Today, it is done and I am delighted about it. »
Progress welcomed by Quebec
The reforms put forward by Mme Mushikiwabo were praised by Quebec Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie Martine Biron, who in the past had said that the OIF was struggling with governance and transparency problems.
“There have indeed been difficult moments within the Francophonie, I believe that there are still some because there is room for improvement. But there is a colossal amount of work that has been done in recent years,” underlined Mr.me Biron alongside Mme Mushikiwabo.
“I discussed at length with Louise what Quebec thought and wanted. I felt that she heard us and that actions were taken over time. We are following this file and we are working together. […] Quebec has a fairly important leadership role within the Francophonie, we say what we have to say and we feel that things are moving forward. »
Furthermore, the general secretary denied having reduced the tasks of the OIF administrator, Caroline St-Hilaire, number two in the organization, before taking up her position.
“It was I who wrote the contract for Mr.me St-Hilaire, I haven’t changed anything, she said at a press conference. These functions remained the same as those of the previous administrator. »
An assertion which is corroborated by Mme St-Hilaire herself, who replaced Geoffroi Montpetit, whose contract was not renewed, in 2023.
“It’s the same contract, the same tasks, the same functions,” insisted the former Bloc member and mayor of Longueuil in an interview with The dutysaying she was “very happy” with the “excellent collaboration” she has with Mme Mushikiwabo.
In 2023, The duty reported that Ms. Mushikiwabo took advantage of the transition period preceding Mr.me St-Hilaire to carry out a restructuring which removes from the new number two of the OIF any direct responsibility for the representations of the organization spread throughout the world.