A relief. Less than a year after a 2023 edition postponed twice, uncertain for a long time, and shunned by several nations, the International Committee of the Francophonie Games (CIJF) can breathe. The next sporting and cultural event in French-speaking countries has found a host city.
Firste session of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie, meeting at the end of last week by videoconference, designated the city of Yerevan, in Armenia, to organize the 2027 edition.
The information was revealed by Arayik Haroutiounyan, the Armenian Prime Minister's chief of staff, on his Facebook page. “ Congratulations to all of ushe wrote. A few minutes ago, the Permanent Council of La Francophonie made the unanimous decision to grant Yerevan the right to host the Francophonie Sports and Cultural Games in 2027. More than fifty delegations, around four thousand participants are expected in the Armenian capital. We all have the strength to accept with honor this unprecedented competition in our country ».
The decision was then confirmed more officially by the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
A little over three years before the event, the CIJF has achieved the most difficult task: finding a reliable candidate, presenting all the guarantees on paper.
After the 2023 edition in Kinshasa, initially planned for 2021, the CIJF launched a new call for applications. Two countries responded: Benin and Armenia. The Armenians left first. They were also the only ones to maintain their project until the end.
Last November, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahe Gevorgyan took advantage of an official speech to announce his country's candidacy. During the same month, a CIFJ delegation led by its director, the Lebanese Zeina Mina, went on an inspection visit to Yerevan, the Armenian capital.
The rest of the process followed a fairly clear course. The CIJF presented a single candidacy for the 126e session of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie. The only one in the running, Armenia was unanimously chosen.
The choice may be surprising. According to official figures from the OIF, Armenia currently has around 10000 French speakers, an insignificant proportion of 0,3% of the population. Three times nothing, then. But the country has been a full member of the OIF since 2024. As such, it can apply for, and organize, the Francophonie Games.
With this designation, the OIF and the CIJF can breathe. They ensure the sustainability of the sporting and cultural event, secure a host country more than three days before the event, and respect the unwritten but important rule of alternation between countries of the North and the South.
The Commonwealth Games, whose sporting dimension and level of competition have always been much higher, cannot say the same. The next edition, initially planned for 2026, no longer has a single candidate. It could be postponed for a year.
