Statements made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development Spokesperson (Paris, December 18, 2014)

Tourism – Meeting of the Tourism Promotion Council devoted to digital technology (Paris, December 17, 2014)
Development assistance - New OECD calculation method (December 16, 2014)
Family planning – Annual meeting of the Ouagadougou Partnership (Paris, December 18, 2014)
Fight against Daesh – Discovery of a mass grave in eastern Syria


Tourism – Meeting of the Tourism Promotion Council devoted to digital technology (Paris, December 17, 2014)

Mr. Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, yesterday chaired the third meeting of the Tourism Promotion Council, in the presence of Mr. Matthias Fekl, Minister of State responsible in particular for Tourism, Ms. Carole Delga, Minister of State for Commerce, Small-Scale Industry, Consumer Affairs and the Social and Solidarity Economy, local elected officials as well as representatives from the tourism sector and Atout France.

Having heard the views of numerous sector professionals (intermediaries, distributors, hoteliers), the rapporteurs - coordinated by Ambassador Philippe Faure - underscored the importance of digital tools. These are now crucial to the choices made by tourists and are essential tools for promoting French destinations, brands and products. Atout France has been tasked with fully integrating this dimension into our national strategy for the development of the tourism sector.

Three areas of work have been identified:

- streamlining our digital tools, notably by updating the web portal dedicated to the promotion of tourism and by developing digital applications;

- protecting fair competition, by strengthening the position of French brands in search engine results and by ensuring greater distinction between commercial websites and price comparison websites;

- ensuring high-quality Internet access in tourist areas and tailoring the initial and further training of tourism professionals to meet the challenges of digital technology.

The next meeting of the Tourism Promotion Council will take place on January 21, 2015, and will be devoted to the hotel industry and business and shopping tourism.


Development assistance - New OECD calculation method (December 16, 2014)

We welcome the development assistance reform agreed upon by the ministers of the member states of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on December 16.

This reform, which is supported by Ms. Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophony, provides for the introduction in 2019 of a new methodology for calculating development assistance. It notably takes into account loans, which are essential development tools.

This new methodology will make it possible to more accurately reflect the efforts of the international community and France to support developing countries, particularly the least advanced countries.

The work of the OECD and the creation of a new measure of total official support for development reflect the desire to develop a comprehensive approach to financing for development, which will be discussed at the third international conference in Addis Ababa in July.


Family planning – Annual meeting of the Ouagadougou Partnership (Paris, December 18, 2014)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development will this evening host a conference within the framework of the 3rd annual meeting of the Ouagadougou Partnership, established in 2011 to promote family planning in French-speaking West Africa. This meeting is taking place in Paris this year and will bring together more than 200 participants, including 9 African delegations and international technical and financial partners. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Flora and William Hewlett Foundation, the UN Population Fund, and the World Bank will participate in the meeting.

This conference will provide an opportunity to present the progress achieved with respect to access to contraception in West Africa, thanks to the development of national action plans and field programs, and to formulate new post-2015 ambitions.

While more than 350,000 women around the world still die every year as a result of pregnancy-related complications, France would like universal access to contraception and, more broadly, sexual and reproductive healthcare to be a priority in the post-2015 agenda.


Fight against Daesh – Discovery of a mass grave in eastern Syria

France condemns the crimes perpetrated by Daesh, including the alleged execution of several hundred members of the Shuayat tribe in Syria.

These acts, which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, are primarily targeted against the civilian populations, including children and women, who are the victims of kidnapping, slavery and sexual crimes. Daesh publicly claims responsibility for these crimes. The perpetrators of these crimes must be brought to justice.

France stands alongside all those – Iraqis and Syrians, regardless of their religious or ethnic background -, who want to live freely while enjoying their most basic rights.

It supports the Iraqi authorities in their fight against Daesh. It reaffirms that in Syria, the only way to provide a lasting response to the crisis, to terrorism and to extremism is through a genuine transition that will address the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for peace.