Former Governor General Michaëlle Jean Elected Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF)

I would like to congratulate Michaëlle Jean, former governor general of Canada, on her election to the post of Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF). The first woman and the first non-African personality to hold this post, she succeeds Abdou Diouf, who served three terms as head of the organization. When she takes office, she plans to undertake an ambitious plan following a campaign that focused on Africa, women and youth and on a greater economic role for the organization. The selection of the Haitian-born Canadian to head the organization will provide a prominent international showcase for Canada to demonstrate that linguistic duality and cultural diversity are important values and symbols for our society. The Franco-Ontarian community have all the right reasons to be very proud, I wish her every success in this important endeavour!