After having successfully hosted the XIIIth Francophonie Summit in Montreux, Switzerland holds the presidency until the XIVth Summit, forseen to take place in Kinshasa in October 2012.

The XIIIth Francophonie Summit has been held in Montreux from 22-24 October 2010. This Summit coincided with the year the Francophonie celebrated its 40th anniversary. It has been preceded by a Ministerial Conference.

During the 25th session of the Ministerial Conference of Francophonie, held in Paris on 15 - 16 December 2009, Switzerland was designated to host the XIIIth Summit.

Since 1989 Switzerland has been a full member of the summit of the heads of state and government of countries in which French is spoken. In 1995 Parliament approved by a large majority Switzerland becoming a member of the International Organisation of Francophonie (IOF). It is the fourth largest contributor to the organisation's funds after France, Canada, and the French community in Belgium and it occupies an influential position in the organisation.

The IOF consists of 56 states and governments, as well as 19 observers in 5 continents, all sharing a common language. Its Secretary General is former president of Senegal Abdou Diouf. There are 200 million speakers of French in the world, which puts it ninth in the table of most frequently spoken languages.

Every two years, a Francophonie Summit defines the political direction and the broad outlines of cooperation. The XIIth Summit was held in Quebec from 17 to 19 October 2008, when the City of Quebec celebrated its 400th anniversary.

Francophonie as an institution originated as part of a 1970 cooperation project and the subsequent foundation of the Agency of Cultural and Technical Cooperation in Niamey. In 1991 this became the Intergovernmental Agency of Francophonie and in 2005 the International Organisation of Francophonie. Over the years, political issues have become increasingly important. Today the organisation regards itself both as an actor on the international scene and as an area of cooperation in which the francophone countries successfully interact. 

The four main missions of the OIF are as follows:

• promotion of the French language and of cultural and linguistic diversity
• promotion of peace, democracy, and human rights
• support for education, training, higher education and research
• development of cooperation on behalf of sustainable development and solidarity

In line with its foreign policy objectives, Switzerland works within Francophonie to improve human security, respect for international human rights law and the promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity. 

Switzerland participates in all the Francophonie institutions (summit, ministerial conference, permanent council, specialised and permanent ministerial conferences) and in the work of all Francophonie “operators”, i.e.:

• The Francophonie University Agency (AUF): all the universities in French-speaking Switzerland, the EPF Lausanne, the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland and other institutes are members. The State Secretariat of Education and Research has made a financial contribution to this body since 1998.
• The International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF): the cities of Geneva and Lausanne are represented.
• TV5 Monde: in 1984 Switzerland helped to establish the international francophone television channel which now broadcasts around the clock to more than 200 countries.
• Senghor University Alexandria (International French language university for African development): it receives financial contributions from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Switzerland is also represented in the:

• International Association of French-Speaking Parliamentarians: A federal and several cantonal sections exist in Switzerland since 1989.
• Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sport of the French-Speaking Countries
• Conference of Ministers of Education of the French-Speaking Countries

Switzerland has also actively participated for several years in the celebrations of the Francophonie Festival. The French Language and Francophonie Week (SLFF) in Switzerland is held annually in Switzerland around 20 March - International Francophonie Day. The events in Switzerland are organised by several non-governmental institutions and organisations represented on a committee chaired by the Delegation for the French Language of the Intercantonal Conference of Public Education of French-Speaking Switzerland and of Ticino. Abroad, no less than 100 Swiss embassies and representations, supported by the Competence Centre for Cultural Foreign Policy (CCC) of the FDFA, actively take part every year in the events of 20 March, in cooperation with the diplomatic representations of other member States of Francophonie.