Sustainable peace requires strong institutions and dialogue, and the Union of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions of Francophone Countries (UCESIF) is working precisely in this direction, Eric Poppe, representative of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) for Central and Eastern Europe, said on Monday.

'Peace is never permanently secured, and there can be no sustainable peace without strong institutions and without dialogue. This is precisely what UCESIF is working towards,' Poppe declared at the UCESIF General Assembly meeting currently taking place in Bucharest.

He highlighted the role of La Francophonie's institutional networks in promoting peace, democracy and human rights.

'UCESIF is one of the 16 institutional networks of La Francophonie, which are privileged partners of the OIF and put Francophone expertise at the service of peace, democracy and human rights. Following the Bamako Declaration, there are 600 institutions in more than 60 countries working in areas such as justice, human rights, the media, and economic and social dialogue. Independent of the OIF, these networks provide the organisation with a pool of experts and serve as a link with civil society,' the OIF representative said.

According to Poppe, UCESIF brings together similar institutions from 20 Francophone countries and plays an important role in developing social and economic dialogue.

'Created in 2004 in Ouagadougou, UCESIF brings together similar institutions from 20 Francophone countries and promotes debate and dialogue among social and economic forces, a mission that is essential for inclusive societies,' Eric Poppe said.

He also referred to cooperation between the OIF and La Francophonie's institutional networks.

'The fact that this event is taking place at the Palace of Parliament, in the presence of eminent figures, shows us that by joining their efforts with those of the OIF, we are building concrete responses to the new challenges facing our democracies. Our cooperation is based on the 2012 Partnership Charter, which structures the working arrangements between the networks and the OIF and strengthens the coherence of their actions through collaborative efforts,' the OIF representative for Central and Eastern Europe pointed out.

Poppe also referred to the opinion that UCESIF is due to adopt ahead of the 20th Francophonie Summit.

'The OIF has taken note with interest of the opinion that UCESIF will adopt in preparation for the 20th Francophonie Summit, to be held in Phnom Penh, under the theme 'Reinvesting in Peace for Shared Prosperity and Lasting Stability.' This theme reminds us of a truth,' the OIF official said.

The Economic and Social Council (CES) is hosting the UCESIF General Assembly meeting and the Francophone Social Dialogue Forum in Bucharest from September 28 to 30. The events focus on the role of representative social and civic dialogue partners in social, economic and cultural diplomacy.

The UCESIF General Assembly is to discuss the theme of the 20th Francophonie Summit, 'Peace as a vector of sustainable development in the Francophone space,' and adopt UCESIF's position, which will be presented at the summit in Phnom Penh, scheduled for November 14-16, 2026. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Nicoleta Banciulea; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)

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