In Phnom Penh, French Volunteering Marks Its 13th Edition Under the Sign of the Francophonie
On October 3, the French Institute of Cambodia will host the French Volunteering Day (JVF), an annual event organised by France Volontaires, the French State operator for international and solidarity-based mobility. For its 13th edition, the day will run from 2pm to 8pm across the Institute's gardens and cinema, in Phnom Penh.
This 2026 edition falls at a particular moment for Cambodia, just weeks ahead of the Francophonie Summit the kingdom will host in November, and as part of the United Nations' International Year of Volunteers. The chosen theme, "Volunteering: a lever for a Francophonie committed to sustainable development," aims to draw the connection between civic engagement, Franco-Cambodian cooperation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The afternoon programme includes a village of stands, an exhibition titled "Tell Us About Your Volunteering," as well as an SDG-themed fresco and mapping activity. From 5:30pm, the official ceremony takes over, featuring a Franco-Khmer public speaking contest, a performance by the Labokator collective and an awards ceremony, before a closing cocktail between 7pm and 8pm.
The day will also spotlight Franco-Cambodian mobility, with volunteers from the two cohorts of the FEF French Language programme taking part, alongside a meeting with the Ambassador of France to Cambodia. Jointly led by the Embassy of France, France Volontaires and Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the programme lets future French-language teachers and students build professional, linguistic and intercultural skills they then put to use in Cambodia.
Present in Cambodia since 2011, France Volontaires now runs one of the most active international volunteering networks in Asia: 220 French volunteers were recorded in the country in 2025, mainly in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the Kampot-Kep-Sihanoukville area, making Cambodia the leading host country in Asia for the scheme. In the other direction, 55 Cambodians have gone on mobility placements in France since 2016, with 21 more expected in 2026.
The 2025 edition brought together more than 500 visitors and 21 exhibitors, in an event that reached roughly 60,000 people across the organisation's social media. This year's announced highlights — a photo exhibition, a public speaking contest, traditional dance and a participatory fresco — build on that momentum, with the aim of cementing the JVF as a fixture on the capital's cultural calendar.
The event is free and open to all, at the French Institute of Cambodia, 6 Samdach Preah Sokun Meanbon Street, Phnom Penh.
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