The IGC is honoured to have received this year’s “Prix du Président du Groupe des Ambassadeurs francophones pour l’égalité femmes-hommes,” awarded in recognition of its sustained commitment to advancing gender equality across diplomatic and multilateral spaces.
The distinction was presented during an evening held on 1 April 2026 at Palais Anna et Jean-Gabriel Eynard in Geneva, as part of the Printemps de la Francophonie. The event brought together distinguished guests to celebrate dialogue, cooperation, and the shared values of the Francophonie.
The evening opened with a high-level discussion featuring Volker Türk and Souleymane Bachir Diagne on the theme of universalism and its relevance in today’s world. Remarks by Marjorie de Chastonay, Administrative Councillor of the Canton of Geneva, highlighted the central role of International Geneva and reaffirmed the city’s strong commitment to multilateralism.
The awards ceremony, introduced by the Groupe des Ambassadeurs francophones (GAF), recognised several distinguished recipients, including, next to the IGC network, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the University of Geneva. The IGC award was accepted by Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Chair-elect of the IGC Global Board, H.E. Matthew Wilson, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva and incoming Vice Chair of the Global Board, and Fleur Heyworth, Head of the IGC Secretariat, on behalf of the network. In her acceptance speech, Ms Molcean underlined the shared values at the heart of International Geneva and the respective IGC and GAF networks: equality, dignity, and a world that leaves no one behind. She also paid tribute to the leadership and dedication of IGC's outgoing Chair, Mr Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, who has chaired the IGC Global Board since 2020.
The evening concluded with a convivial reception celebrating the diversity and richness of Francophone cultures, offering a moment of exchange and joint reflection.
