The Parlement Francophone des Jeunes is a French-speaking youth parliament for 18-25 year-old French speakers that takes place every two years and that is sponsored by the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF).
The next Parlement Francophone will take place in July 2026.
100 youth representatives come from 50 countries that belong to the French-speaking world; each with the right to send to representatives.
The delegates split into 4 debating groups to focus on four topics that are chosen for the session. The topics vary each time, but in the past they have included:
In each case the group has to come up with a proposition (debate topic) to put to the main assembly of elected parliamentarians from the APF at the end of their deliberations. On the last day, all the young representatives join the parliamentarians in the plenary assembly for a debate.
You need to be:
The benefits to participants are increased civic and cultural awareness, improvement in French, public speaking experience, and it makes a great addition to your CV. Young representatives come back with significantly improved confidence. It is a fabulous opportunity for anyone studying the French language. Students from across the world, from differing cultures and with very different backgrounds, come together and debate topics which are of interest to everyone.
The APF is an international parliamentary organisation which has no political agenda but brings together many nations across the world where French is used. Jersey is a member of the European region of the APF.
One of the aims of the APF is to seek closer co-operation amongst different cultures in countries which are wholly or partially French-speaking and it supports initiatives of any kind which help spread the use of the French language, such as the Parlement Francophone des Jeunes.