14/7/2006
French International Cooperation And Development Seminar

Les Journées de la Coopération Internationale et du Développement will be held at the Palais des Congrès in Paris on July 18 and 19.

This year the general theme for the seminar will be the contribution of
our cooperation actions to the main public policies--foreign policy,
policy on official development assistance and also employment policies and innovation.  Plenary sessions, geographic and theme-based workshops will be held on the priorities and actions of the Department for International Cooperation and Development with respect to the spread of cultural and scientific influence, and the contribution to international solidarity.

Among the issues to be discussed are the fight against pandemics and
innovative financing, the international drug purchase facility (UNITAID),
the re-designed scholarship policy—a core aspect of the policy to develop
France’s attractiveness—policies to promote the French language,
partnerships and innovative tools.  In addition agency heads working for
the French Foreign Ministry--CulturesFrance, Campus France, AEFE (agency for the promotion of French abroad), the AFD (French Development Agency, the FCI (France Cooperation International)--will explain how they perceive their work with the network.

The two-day seminar, which is held every year, is attended by about 2,000 people from the whole gamut of foreign services (heads of cooperation and cultural action services, Alliances françaises, research institutes, audiovisual attachés, technical assistants) and Foreign Ministry personnel, other ministries and partners of the Foreign Ministry.  They attend a cooperation salon held at the same time as the seminar and the same place.  The draws some 60 exhibitiors and really is a place for meetings and exchanges among all actors in French cooperation.