Development – Meeting of the National Council for Development and International Solidarity (Paris, October 27, 2014)
Trade policy – Transparency – Meetings between Mr. Matthias Fekl and the Strategic Follow-up Committee (October 28 to 30, 2014)
Cultural network update – “Fall Leaves” Festival in Japan (October 31 to November 29, 2014)
Development – Meeting of the National Council for Development and International Solidarity (Paris, October 27, 2014)
Ms. Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophony, chaired the second meeting of the National Council for Development and International Solidarity on October 27. This forum brings together associations, elected representatives, local authorities, researchers, companies and unions.
The meeting provided an opportunity to review the implementation of the outline and programming bill on development and international solidarity and to discuss development policy instruments.
The participants also discussed preparations for the two major deadlines in 2015: the 2015 Paris Climate Conference and the adoption of the sustainable development goals.
The discussions also focused on civil society mobilization in the response to the Ebola epidemic.
Trade policy – Transparency – Meetings between Mr. Matthias Fekl and the Strategic Follow-up Committee (October 28 to 30, 2014)
Mr. Matthias Fekl, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, the Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, will have several working meetings this week with the Strategic Follow-up Committee focusing on trade policy issues.
This committee provides an opportunity to discuss the main issues currently at stake with respect to trade policy: non-tariff barriers, access to government contracts and reciprocity, geographical indications, preservation of collective preferences, and dispute settlement mechanisms. On the initiative of Mr. Fekl, it will now be composed of two subcommittees in order to better respond to the democratic requirement for transparency in trade negotiations: the first will be composed of representatives from civil society, NGOs, unions and professional associations and the second will be made up of parliamentarians.
Mr. Fekl will regularly report to the national representatives on the status of the trade negotiations. He will be heard by the National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and European Affairs today.
Cultural network update – “Fall Leaves” Festival in Japan (October 31 to November 29, 2014)
The seventh edition of the “Fall Leaves” Literary and Comic Book Festival organized by the Institut français of Japan will take place from October 31 to November 29 throughout Japan.
This month-long program of literary and artistic events will be marked by the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the First World War, with a series of films on the theme of remembrance and a major debate entitled “Talking about the war, artists and writers” in the presence of author Jean Rouaud and French and Japanese historians and artists.
French contemporary fiction will be highlighted through the presence of authors Patrick Lapeyre and Marie Darrieussecq, who will talk about the works of Marguerite Duras, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of her birth.
The “Fall Leaves” Festival will also showcase the latest developments in the area of French comic books, with the participation of Romain Hugault, the comic book illustrator who created “Pilote à l’Edelweiss” and Pénélope Bagieu, illustrator of “Joséphine,” which was translated into Japanese this year. These artists will meet their Japanese counterparts at the Kaigai Manga Festa which will take place in Tokyo on November 23.
For more information please visit:
http://www.institutfrancais.jp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/FA2014.compressed.pdf