Curtains have been drawn on the 51st session of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie in Yaoundé that took place last July 7 to 12, 2026 in the presence of the Secretary General of La Francophonie International Organisation, Louise Mushikiwabo. The 400 delegates from 90 member states praised host country Cameroon for the smooth unfolding of their deliberations and stay in the country.

The 51st session was equally marked by the election of the President of the National Assembly of Quebec, Nathalie Roy as President of APF. She took over from Hilarion Etong who doubles Senior Deputy Speaker of Cameroon National Assembly.

The smooth transition was saluted by delegates present in Yaoundé for the 51st session of APF.

Speaking to the media shortly after the close of the 51st session, Nathalie Roy said, “I’m here to share, and I’m here to serve the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie. We must not for­get that Francophonie is a force, I was going to say a striking force, but I think striking is embarrassing, it’s a force, and it’s an economic force. We’re talking here about 400 million people, maybe even more.”

The new APF President added that “So, if we get together, we’re going to do things, we’re going to make our respect­ive parliaments evolve. We have a golden opportunity to get together, to work together, always respecting each other, respecting the differences. I think we have a lot of differences, but by talking, by getting together, we can advance our respective parliaments.”

Talking about her three priorities she said “this strike force of 400 million people towards our economies. Let’s make alli­ances with proud part­ners who share the same values, the values of peace, democracy and equality. So, youth needs to be taken care of by APF and we also need to protect our cul­tural content.”

Speaking on behalf of Cameroonian expressed the wish to see women grow in Parliament. She then presented Cameroonian female gifts to President Nathalie Roy.

The official closing plenary session was chaired by Cameroon Senate President, Aboubakary Abdoulaye who expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic, Paul Biya for putting all means at the disposal of Parliament for the smooth organisation of their gathering. He underscored the important role Parliaments play in consolidating democracy, promoting peace and enhancing cooperation among Francophone nations.

Senate President, His Majesty Aboubakary Abdoulaye and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Rt Hon Datouo Theodore have been raised to the rank of Grand Officers of the Order of La Pléiade of La Francophonie, the highest distinction of the Organisation in recognition of their exemplary commitment to parliamentary diplomacy and the promotion of Francophone values. These leaders of Cameroon Upper House and Lower House of Cameroon Parliament received their decorations from the President of APF, Hon Hilarion Etong who doubles as Senior Vice Speaker of the National Assembly during the official opening plenary of the 51st session of la Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly attended by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, over 400 participants from 90 members States of the organisation round the globe.

Officially opening the 51st General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) in Yaoundé last July 10, 2026 at the Paul Biya Glass House, the Rt. Hon. Théodore Datouo under­scored Cameroon’s long standing attachment to the ideals of the Francophonie, emphasizing dialogue, solidarity, and respect for the sovereignty of States. The House Speaker highlighted the country’s active role within the Francophone community and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peace, democratic governance, and cultural diversity. He further expressed confidence that the deliberations in Yaoundé would yield concrete recommendations capable of addressing contemporary global challenges facing member states.

The President of the APF, Hon. Hilarion Etong on his part commended the strong participation and highlighted the significance of this year’s theme, “Multilateralism and the Sovereignty of States.” He noted that the ses­sion offers a timely platform for Francophone parliaments to strengthen dialogue and address shared global challenges.

The Minister of External Relations, H.E. Mbella Mbella, reiterated Cameroon’s dedication to international cooperation and welcomed delegates, expressing confidence that the deliberations would reinforce solidarity and partnership within the Francophone space.

Culled from The Sun Newspaper