Diplomacy, a special mission

French diplomacy should not only be preserved, but above all; it should be strengthened in its missions, particularly with regard to companies. Here is a social body not inclined to make headlines or raise its voice, so diplomatic is its mission: the French diplomatic corps! France has the world’s third largest diplomatic network after the United States and China. This simple observation alone sums up the central role of French foreign diplomacy in the face of the economic, social, and environmental challenges we face.

At a time when the European Union, with France as one of its driving force, is trying to establish a new model of sustainable economy, concerned with combining the adaptation of its energy and agricultural models to the challenges of climate change and economic interdependence (Green Deal), regulating its production model in the face of human rights abuses in various regions of the world (Duty of Vigilance), and reflecting on a new sovereignty and defense model for the continent, we need to question the challenges of the diplomat?

And above all, we need to question the central role that the French diplomatic corps can and must play in the development of French companies in different regions of the world?

The role of our embassies is key to support the development of companies abroad. And it must be rethought and strengthened. Because that’s what all the diplomatic networks in the world do! And especially because the only way to meet global challenges is to involve all countries and regions of the planet.

“The role of our embassies is key to support the development of companies abroad. And it must be rethought and strengthened.”

At a time when the world is experiencing a globalization that has lost its bearings, when economic interdependence is being called into question by conflicts, notably in Ukraine, when human catastrophes linked to climate change are accelerating migratory challenges, and when we need global value sharing, yes, our embassies have the expertise to think about the foreign policy of companies and strengthen their contribution to the development of countries where they are present.

Public/private partnerships in each country where a French company is present must be reconsidered in light of the social responsibility criteria that companies are responsible for and how European states, and the French state in particular, wish to build a more sustainable economy.

Who better than the experts of French diplomacy, who know the issues of the countries where they work and who are representatives of the French state, can help with this evolution? A sustainable development is a development shared with everyone. None of the challenges of this world can be addressed without involving all stakeholders – state, civil society, NGOs, companies, etc. And none of the challenges of his world can be solved by countries or regions alone. These are definitively global challenges.