Institutional Francophonie: summits, economic diplomacy and the Swiss presence

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The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, founded in 1970, brings together 93 member, associate and observer states and governments and holds a summit of heads of state and government every two years.¹ Long focused on culture and education, the organisation has since the 2010s developed an economic dimension: francophone business forums, meetings of entrepreneurs and the promotion of trade within the francophone area, which, as it points out, accounts for 16.5 per cent of world gross domestic product and 20 per cent of world merchandise trade.² Switzerland is a member of the organisation and brings to it a particular voice, that of a multilingual country whose French-speaking minority is its second-largest linguistic community.³

For the Geneva financial centre, institutional Francophonie offers a framework for meetings and a source of legitimacy. The francophone economic forums bring together business leaders, ministers and investors from Africa, the Maghreb, Europe and Canada in a shared language. Geneva’s umbrella organisations and institutions attend them, though without occupying the place that their economic weight would justify. A more visible participation by the financial centre in these forums, with concrete proposals on financing, training and governance, would consolidate its position as the reference financial centre of the francophone area.

Notes

Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, La langue française dans le monde, 2026 edition, and institutional presentation of the OIF (organisation founded in 1970, 93 states and governments). ↩
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, La langue française dans le monde, 2026 edition (summary). ↩
A member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie since 1996, Switzerland has become its third-largest contributor; Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, “La Suisse au sein de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie”, eda.admin.ch (accessed September 2026). ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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Institutional Francophonie: summits, economic diplomacy and the Swiss presence

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?