Canada to host 2028 Francophonie summit in Ottawa region

Louise Mushikiwabo, secretary-general of the Francophonie Internationale, speaks at a news conference in Quebec City on Monday, March 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

OTTAWA — Canada will host the 2028 global summit of the Francophonie in the Ottawa area, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday.

“We have decided to bring the world to Canada to celebrate the vitality, the wealth and the resilience of the French language in this country and around the world,” Carney said in French at a midday Canada Day event near Parliament Hill.

The summit will take place in the National Capital Region, which encompasses Ottawa and the area around Gatineau, Que.

The Francophonie summit, which typically takes place every two years, sees leaders gather to discuss the state of the French language and shared interests such as democracy, education and the environment.

The Francophonie’s membership includes countries and subnational regions with ties to the French language and those with historical ties to France, such as Cambodia, Armenia and Egypt.

Canada, Quebec and New Brunswick are all members, while Nova Scotia and Ontario are observers. Most of Africa’s French-speaking countries are members of the Francophonie.

Francophonie summits touch on various themes and also offer leaders from different continents a chance to meet.

Wednesday was the deadline for countries to submit bids to host the Francophonie; Canada was the only country to make a pitch. It’s possible other regions sought to host the summit but did not submit a public bid.

Carney might attend this year’s summit, which is happening this fall in Cambodia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2026

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press