France: Permanent Observer Country



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Date of Entry: September 20, 1972

National Day: July 14

Type of Government: Republic

Head of State: President Nicolas Sarkozy (May 16, 2007)

Head of Government: Prime Minister Francois Fillon (May 17, 2007)

Permanent Observer: Ambassador Pierre Henri Guignard

Minister of Foreign & European Affairs: Alain Juppé (February 27, 2011)

Director General for Globalization: Christian Masset

Director for the Americas and the Caribbean: Elisabeth Beton-Delègue

Director-General, Agence Française de Développement (AFD): Dov Zerah

Head of Unit for Operations in the Americas, Pacific, Indian Ocean, and French Overseas Communities: Odile Lapierre

Areas of Cooperation with OAS: Promoting Democracy (DECO); Strengthening Multidimensional Security (CICAD, AICMA); Protecting Human Rights (IACHR), Advancing Integral Development (SEDI)

|ECONOMIC INDICATORS |2007 |2008 |2009 |2010 |2011 |

|GDP ($ in billions) |2,598.76 |2,865.22 |2,656.41 |2,582.53 |2,808 |

|GDP per capita ($) |41,939.06 |45,987.42 |42,409.87 |41,018.60 |44,401 |

|GDP, PPP (Current International Dollar in |2,081.82 |2,129.26 |2,094.06 |2,145.49 |2,214 |

|billions) | | | | | |

|GDP growth (annual %) |2.323 |.091 |-2.547 |1.565 |1.7 |

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database

CASH CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE OAS 1999-2011:

|Year |France |All POs |% |

|1999 |$ 49,180 |$ 8,055,934 |0.6% |

|2000 |$ 284,471 |$ 9,515,678 |3.0% |

|2001 |$ 29,000 |$ 6,923,000 |0.4% |

|2002 |$ 136,429 |$ 8,460,084 |1.6% |

|2003 |$ 489,571 |$ 12,125,944 |4.0% |

|2004 |$ 341,014 |$ 11,908,651 |2.9% |

|2005 |$ 47,468 |$ 11,650,039 |0.4% |

|2006 |$ 255,538 |$ 19,080,470 |1.4% |

|2007 |$ 194,086 |$ 20,298,894 |1.0% |

|2008 |$ 197,597 |$ 25,865,002 |0.8% |

|2009 |$ 90,376 |$ 19,618,820 |0.5% |

|2010 |$ 486,656 |$ 15,791,980 |3.0% |

|2011 |$ 430,857 |$ 15,766,615 |2.7% |

|Total $ |$ 3,052,243 |$169,294,496 |1.7% |

FRANCE CONTRIBUTIONS:

|Year |Area |Cash Contributions |In-Kind Contributions |

|1999 |Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) – International Civilian Mission in |$ 49,180.00 | |

| |Haiti (MICIVIH) | | |

| |Trade Unit - Intern | |$ 20,000.00 |

| |Professor, Course on International Law in Rio de Janeiro | |$ 3,000.00 |

| |Columbus Memorial Library - Book | |$ 20.00 |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – Seminar in Martinique | |$ 19,300.00 |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 49,180.00 |$ 42,320.00 |

|2000 |Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) |$ 203,118.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) |$ 81,353.00 | |

| |General Secretariat – Interns | | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – Seminar in Martinique | | |

| |Professor, Course on International Law in Rio de Janeiro | |$ 3,000.00 |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 284,471.00 |$ 3,000.00 |

|2001 |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – RECTOD |$ 29,000.00 | |

| |Department of International Law (DIL) – Professor, Course on International Law in| |$ 3,000.00 |

| |Rio de Janeiro | | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – Anti-Drug Training | |$ 5,000.00 |

| |Course for Central American Customs Officials, Martinique | | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 29,000.00 |$ 8,000.00 |

|2002 |Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) – Demining Program |$ 75,255.00 | |

| |CICAD/CIFAD Andean Regional Seminar on Combating Money Laundering and Corruption |$ 31,858.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) - RECTOD |$ 29,316.00 | |

| |OAS Special Mission in Haiti (Equipment and Technical Assistance) | |$ 140,000.00 |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – Technical and | |$ 50,700.00 |

| |Professional Assistance | | |

| |Department of International Law (DIL) – Professor, Course on International Law in| | $ ~2,500.00 |

| |Rio de Janeiro | | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 418,429.00 |$ 193,200.00 |

|2003 |Sustainable Development Unit |$ 138,888.00 | |

| |Office of the Assistant Secretary General – Special Mission in Haiti |$ 350,683.00 | |

| |Department of International Law (DIL) – Professor, Course on International Law in| |$ 3,760.00 |

| |Rio de Janeiro | | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – Technical Assistance| |$ 99,600.00 |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 489,571.00 |$ 103,360.00 |

|2004 |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) |$ 51,104.00 |$ 140,000.00 |

| |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Haiti |$ 150,024.00 | |

| |Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) – Demining Program |$ 72,984.00 | |

| |Secretariat for Political Affairs (SPA) – Inter-American Forum on Political |$ 66,902.00 | |

| |Parties | | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 341,014.00 |$ 140,000.00 |

|2005 |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – General Fund |$ 47,468.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – Anti-Money Laundering| |$ 96,000.00 |

| |Support | | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 47,468.00 |$ 96,000.00 |

|2006 |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Support to Human Rights |$ 171,304.00 | |

| |Activities in Haiti | | |

| |Department of External Relations (DER) – Lecture Series of the Americas |$ 11,994.00 | |

| |Summit Follow-Up – American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples |$ 20,000.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) |$ 52,240.00 | |

| |Department of International Law (DIL) – Professor, Course on International Law in| |$ 3,000.00 |

| |Rio de Janeiro | | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 255,538.00 |$ 3,000.00 |

|2007 |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) |$ 65,395.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) |$ 10,000.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission Against Terrorism (CICTE) |$ 10,000.00 | |

| |Indigenous Rights |$ 20,000.00 | |

| |Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) |$ 20,000.00 | |

| |Department of External Relations (DER) |$ 5,000.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) |$ 53,691.00 | |

| |Department of International Law (DIL) – Course on International Law in Rio de | |$ 30,000.00 |

| |Janeiro | | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – Training Seminars in| |$ 30,000.00 |

| |Colombia | | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 184,086.00 |$ 60,000.00 |

|2008 |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Projects in Haiti |$ 60,000.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission on Women (CIM) – Course on Empowerment, HIV, and |$ 23,000.00 | |

| |Violence against Women in the Caribbean | | |

| |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Office of the Special |$ 15,00.000 | |

| |Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression | | |

| |Working Group to Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of |$ 12,385.00 | |

| |Indigenous Peoples | | |

| |Inter-American Commission Against Terrorism (CICTE) |$ 10,000.00 | |

| |Department of International Affairs (DIA) – Lecture Series of the Americas |$ 5,000.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) |$ 62,212.00 | |

| |Inter-American Emergency Aid Fund (FONDEM) |$ 10,000.00 | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 197,597.00 | |

|2009 |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Office of the Special |$ 10,000.00 | |

| |Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression | | |

| |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Individual Cases in Haiti |$ 23,800.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) - Counternarcotics |$ 56,576.00 | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 90,376.00 | |

|2010 |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Office of the Special |$ 8,073.00 | |

| |Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression | | |

| |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) |$ 18,837.00 | |

| |Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) – General Activities |$ 51,808.00 | |

| |Secretariat for Legal Affairs – Department of International Law - Professor, | |$ 10,365.00 |

| |Course on International Law in Rio de Janeiro | | |

| |Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO)– OAS Electoral |$ 277,778.00 | |

| |Observation Mission to Haiti | | |

| |Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) – OAS Electoral |$ 130,160.00 | |

| |Observation Mission to Haiti – Second Round | | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 486,656.00 |$ 10,365.00 |

|2011 |Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) – OAS Electoral |$ 138,888 | |

| |Observation Mission to Haiti – Second Round | | |

| |Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Strategic Plan 2011-2015 |$ 160,000 | |

| |Secretariat for Multidimensional Security / Inter-American Drug Abuse Control |$ 40,869 | |

| |Commission – Forfeited Assets Latin America | | |

| |SUBTOTAL |$ 430,857.89 | |

|TOTAL | |$ 3,052,243 |$ 659,245.00 |

Foreign Ministry – Goals/Areas of Responsibility:

The Foreign Ministry is responsible for French diplomatic relations with the European Union and surrounding world; it aids and protects French citizens abroad; and it manages all external relations of the French government and international organizations as well as matters of trade policy, human rights, promotion of democracy, and development.

• On June 5, 2009, the French Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development (CICID) redefined French development cooperation in four major areas:

o Supporting poor countries by building upon existing partnerships;

o Cooperating with emerging countries to ensure the position of French economic and strategic interests;

o Participating in the financing of European and multilateral institutions to better address global issues; and

o Helping countries affected by crises resulting from natural catastrophes or political and military conflicts.

• In the context of the European Union (EU), the French government has agreed to increase Official Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.51% of GNI in 2010, a step towards the objective of 0.7% in 2015.

• France contributes some 18% of the European Union’s development aid, and participates in the multilateral aid programs of the development banks and the United Nations.

• The 14 poor countries of sub-Saharan Africa are priority countries, to which 60% of resources are directed.

• France works with the UN Security Council, UN Peacekeeping Operations, the UN Environmental Organization (UNEO), European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), NATO, the WTO, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

AGENCE FRANÇAISE DE DÉVELOPPEMENT (AFD):

• AFD serves as a development bank and specialized financial institution in addition to being France’s official development agency. AFD aims to reduce poverty and inequalities, promote sustainable economic growth, and protect global public goods, in particular fighting climate change and pandemics and preserving biodiversity.

• In 2010, AFD committed nearly $10.02 billion in development aid to over 60 developing countries.

• In Latin America, AFD works in Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, Antilles, Dominican Republic, and Suriname in the areas of sustainable development, renewable energy, transport infrastructure, urban development, and poverty reduction.

Involvement with the western hemisphere:

• Bolivia:

o Bolivia and France have signed a debt reduction and development agreement worth $28.51 million over the period 2001-2017, prioritizing two projects for the period 2001-2006 in the amount of $14.82 million for the construction of a hospital in Santa Cruz, Bolivia; and the second for the period 2007-2011 in the amount of $9.26 million to fund health care and a National School of Public Administration.

• Brazil:

o Brazil is France’s leading trade partner in Latin America and its fourth partner outside the OECD and the Maghreb, after China, Russia and Singapore.

o France is Brazil’s seventh-leading supplier, with 3.7% of the market share, as compared to 8.4% for Germany and 17.2% for the United States. France buys primarily agricultural products (crude oils and soybean meal) from Brazil and exports capital goods, in particular aircraft (22% of the total), automotive equipment and automobiles, and pharmaceutical preparations to Brazil.

o Approximately 500 French companies provide jobs for more than 230,000 people in Brazil.

• Canada:

o Annual bilateral trade is worth $9.25 billion, with aeronautical equipment, pharmaceuticals, information technologies, and energy products being the main products of import and export.

o France and Canada cooperate in the G8, OECD, NATO, OSCE, and the United Nations system.

o In 2009, 452 French companies in Canada employed more than 80,000 people.

• Dominican Republic:

o France and the Dominican Republic have signed agreements on abolishing short-stay visas, granting food aid, reciprocal investment incentives and protection, mutual assistance in justice affairs, and extradition.

o France’s development cooperation priorities in the Dominican Republic are: promoting the French language; supporting student mobility and the development of interuniversity partnerships; improving governance in the areas of the court and the law; protecting and developing natural resources; and developing the private sector.

• Grenada:

o France cooperates with a $6.7 million AFD loan provided to develop the water and airport sectors.

o Grenada and France have signed agreements on cultural, scientific, and technical cooperation as well as debt adjustment.

• Haiti:

o On December 31, 2007, France signed a framework partnership document (DCP) with the Haitian government which defines Haitian cooperation priorities over the next five years.

o The areas of cooperation are support for reconstruction efforts and strengthening of institutions; endeavoring to meet economic and social needs; and developing cultural ties between France and Haiti.

o Following the earthquake of 2010, France pledged a $450 million aid and debt relief package canceling Haiti’s $77 million debt to France.

• Peru:

o Priority is given to university training and the training of the future leaders. Nearly 1,000 Peruvians study in France and the Lima-based Alliances Françaises, with 12,000 students, is the largest in the world.

o France contributes to the Peruvian government’s Social Emergency Programme and has created a Counterpart Fund with $7.13 million for the agreement on the execution of debt conversion operations. $3.71 million was contributed for the development of the Inca site Choquequirao for sustainable tourism.

• United States:

o Bilateral trade is worth $199.56 million dollars per day.

o In 2010, the United States was the leading destination for French investments abroad.

o 2,800 French companies generate more than 550,000 jobs and turnover exceeds $170 billion.

o France and the United States interact across a broad array of international organizations, including the G8 and OECD, NATO and the OSCE, as well as the United Nations system.

• Venezuela:

o Bilateral trade was worth $890.88 million in 2008, with energy products accounting for 74% of Venezuela’s exports to France.

o France and Venezuela signed an agreement on the mutual encouragement and protection of investments, which came into force in April 2004.

o Cooperation seeks to strengthen long-standing ties between the two countries in the areas of higher education and research, cultural programming, promotion of the French language, and support for sustainable development projects.

SOURCES:

Organization of American States, Department of International Affairs



Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France



French Development Agency



United Nations



United Nations, Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance



IMF, World Economic Outlook Database



Aid Harmonization and Alignment



This page was last updated on May 1, 2012

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