Today's Date:

(...)

My three areas of responsibility (...) – cooperation, development and Francophony – are important fields for French influence. Occasionally marginalized, squeezed between political emergencies and diplomatic routine, they are at the heart of our foreign policy and are invaluable instruments serving our political and economic objectives.

COOPERATION

First of all, cooperation.

Cooperation isn’t charity, even though it of course requires generosity and openness towards others. It’s about trading and exchanging with other countries, which means having a genuine partnership. We want to defend our values, our interests even, and we shall do so more efficiently if we tailor our action to the host country’s priorities. (...)

DEVELOPMENT

Secondly, development.

We have an objective: the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve poverty by 2015. We have to stand up for our methods if we are to achieve this objective. The French approach to development combines an increase in the volume of aid with encouraging private-sector growth, particularly that of small businesses in the South. As regards the volume of aid, you know the ambitious pledges France has made – 0.5% of GDP in 2007, 0.7% in 2012 –, but we now have to find other resources in the world and encourage others to follow our example. (...)

FRANCOPHONY/OIF

Thirdly, Francophony.

La Francophonie [international Francophone organization] doesn’t seem to me to arouse sufficient interest in France itself, whilst elsewhere it’s attracting more and more States and peoples anxious to support a different globalization. It’s primarily by cultivating this difference, and not by taking a defensive stance, that it will continue to appeal. We must strive to highlight the extra benefits it can bring when we are dealing with major political, economic and cultural issues.

(...)

MORE EFFICIENT DEVELOPMENT AID MACHINERY/TRAINING OF FOREIGN ELITES/INCREASED FRENCH PRESENCE IN PLACES OF INFLUENCE

I have adopted five priorities for your action over the coming year.

The first is to reform our development aid machinery to make it more efficient. (...)

The second priority is to promote France's influence by training foreign elites. (...)

Third priority: (...) step up France’s presence in the places of influence. (...)

Fourth priority: to work more with non-State partners: NGOs, local authorities and businesses. (...)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT/INTERNATIONAL TAX SYSTEM/ENVIRONMENT/UNEO

Finally, the fifth priority is to convince our partners of the pertinence of our positions on sustainable development.

As you know, it's estimated that around €50 billion of aid needs to be found every year to finance the Millennium Goals throughout the world. To do this, the idea of an international tax system is beginning to gain ground. President Chirac is very keen on it. A report has just been submitted to him. He also intends going to a meeting organized by President Lula on 20 September next in New York. As there may well be significant opposition to this proposal – the United States is most reluctant to go along with it – it will be up to you to convince our partners. We must also be zealous when it comes to the environment. Every development policy must now meet the criterion for sustainability. So fostering sustainable development must be one of your essential tasks. Influence also comes through the promotion of strong values. The great strength of French diplomacy has lain in the defence of human rights, that of sustainable development must today be added to it. The creation of a United Nations Environment Organization, which President Chirac so wants to see, is a turning point in this process, which it will be your job to push for in your contacts with your partners.

It is also important for you to start developing a coherent environmental diplomacy, giving priority to increasing access to water and energy, which is the key not only to the development of the least-developed countries, but also to the protection of the climate and biodiversity. Here too, your job will be to persuade your interlocutors that, in a globalized world, the environment has to be everyone's concern. For this, the network of national environment contacts, which has expanded rapidly over the past few years, will without doubt be valuable, as will the NGOs and businesses which are our partners on the ground (...)./.