Cases of workplace harassment have been uncovered by agents from the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF). According to the results of an internal survey commissioned in December 2022 and which the RFI was able to consult, 44% of respondents say they have already suffered bullying, more than one in two agents surveyed say they have witnessed it if 9 % of harassment speak sexually. According to the OIF, this management-driven report should “ clear the ground ” on the subject.

Three million Canadian dollars less

The consequences of these revelations are serious: Canada has announced that it will cut its financial contribution to the organization by three million Canadian dollars. It’s an unprecedented decision. On April 2, in a letter to the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, Canada’s Foreign Minister announced that she would be revising her contribution to the organization of La Francophonie downwards. A decision justified by current results” disturbing regarding moral and sexual harassment within the OIF.

But Oria Vande Weghe, spokeswoman for the organization, sees another reason: the non-renewal of Canadian Geoffroi Montpetit as administrator: ” It really does look like a reckoning. In any case, we were warned of reprisals if Louise Mushikiwabo didn’t renew the previous administrator’s contract. We feel that we are really exposed to these reprisals. »

” Difficult Relationships »

The Canadian Ambassador in Paris stated this in her reply to the head of Canadian diplomacy on April 6, Louise Mushikiwabo promised difficult relations with Ottawa ” If you ” hasn’t changed his mind about the end of Geoffroi Montpetit’s contract “. In this letter, the number one OIF also ensures that the fight against harassment is not “ distracted by personal maneuvers ‘, as his spokesman defended: ‘ These numbers are worrying. What is certain is that the current Secretary-General was the only Secretary who wanted us to take an interest in the issue. We can’t blame the leadership for cracking down on moral and sexual harassment and then trimming posts based on the results of a poll designed to address that very issue. »

Canada is the second largest donor to the Francophonie. Even with less financial support from Ottawa, the organization will continue to work, its spokesman assures.

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