Foreign Affairs

World Food Day (October 16, 2024)

On this World Food Day, France reaffirms its commitment to the fight against every form of food insecurity and malnutrition. In 2023, 281.6 million people faced high levels of food insecurity, 24 million more than in 2022. One hundred fifty million children under the age of five are suffering from delayed growth and 37 million are underweight. France is fully engaged in the fight against malnutrition, which affects health and education systems and economies worldwide. On March 27 and 28, (…)

Updated: Wed Oct 16 2024

China - Q&R (15 October 2024)

Q : On Monday, China carried out military exercises of unusual magnitude dubbed Joint Sword 2024-B, deploying aircraft and ships to encircle Taiwan. That raised the issue of security and increased tensions in the area. What is the French government's position on China's increasingly frequent and offensive military maneuvers? R : We monitored the military operations carried out by the People's Republic of China around Taiwan with concern. France reaffirms its commitment to preserving peace and (…)

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

Hamburg Sustainability Platform – New alliances are needed to provide blended finance at scale (15 Oct. 2024)

Joint press release of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development; the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; Global Affairs Canada; the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Treasury of the Republic of South Africa; the Secretary of State in charge of International partnerships of France; Allianz; Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec; and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Public-private stakeholder coalition kicks-off (…)

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

Letter to Congressional Leadership Providing an Update on Developments in the Middle East and the U.S. Government’s Response

<p>Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Madam President:) (Dear Minority Leader Jeffries:) (Dear Majority Leader Schumer:)(Dear Minority Leader McConnell:) I write to apprise you of developments in Israel and the United States Government&#8217;s response to them. On October 1, 2024, Iran launched over 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. Consistent with our longstanding commitment to Israel&#8217;s security and our public&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/15/letter-to-congressional-leadership-providing-an-update-on-developments-in-the-middle-east-and-the-u-s-governments-response/">Letter to Congressional Leadership Providing an Update on Developments in the Middle East and the U.S. Government’s Response</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions

<p>WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to serve in key roles: Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State The Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State, established by Congress, will advise the President and Congress on changes the Department of State&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/15/president-biden-announces-key-appointments-to-boards-and-commissions-41/">President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Erie, PA

<p>Erie Insurance ArenaErie, Pennsylvania 7:45 P.M. EDT THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good evening, Pennsylvania! (Applause.) Can we hear for Karen? (Applause.) Wow. Hey, everybody. Hi. All right. Oh, it is good to be back in Pennsylvania. (Applause.) Hey, everybody. All right. All right. All right. Come on. We got work to do. We got work to&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/10/14/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-at-a-campaign-event-erie-pa/">Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Erie, PA</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

Sentencing of M. Laurent Vinatier by the Russian authorities (14 Oct. 2024)

Laurent Vinatier, a French citizen, has just been handed a three-year prison sentence for not being registered on the “foreign agents” register. This is an extremely harsh sentence. The “foreign agents” legislation contributes to a systematic violation of fundamental freedoms in Russia, such as freedom of association, freedom of opinion and freedom of expression. It is helping to abolish the last spaces of freedom that were available to civil society, the independent media and political (…)

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

Statement from President Joe Biden on Increased Worker Organizing

<p>When I took office, I promised to be the most pro-union, pro-worker President in history. I have kept that promise. Today’s data from the National Labor Relations Board shows the number of workers filing for union representation has doubled since the start of my Administration—the first administration in five decades to have an increase in&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/15/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-increased-worker-organizing/">Statement from President Joe Biden on Increased Worker Organizing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

The Villers-Cotterêts Call for an honest, trustworthy digital space in the Francophone world (4 Oct. 2024)

A free, open and safe Internet is an essential tool for promoting exchanges, inclusion and development. As digital platforms form a significant part of the Internet, their social responsibility must not be ignored. The Francophonie is a community of language and values, of women and men whose common language is French, and of the 88 member countries of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) which promote the same values: democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, as (…)

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

Ukraine – Conference on Nuclear Security and Safety in Ukraine (Paris, 17 Oct. 2024)

France is hosting a ministerial-level conference on nuclear security and safety in Ukraine; it will be held in Paris on October 17. Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot will open the conference. This conference, which was jointly organized with Ukraine, falls within the framework of the peace plan proposed by President Zelenskyy and reflects one of the commitments that France made at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine held on June 15-16 in Bürgenstock. It must contribute to (…)

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

Villers-Cotterêts Declaration (7 Oct. 2024)

1. We, the Heads of State and Government of countries which have a shared relationship with the French language, meeting on 4 and 5 October 2024 for the 19th Francophonie Summit in the French Republic; 2. Welcome the opening of this Summit at the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, where in 1539 the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts was signed, for the first time making French the official language of France; 3. Reiterate our commitment to the French language, a language of teaching and (…)

Updated: Tue Oct 15 2024

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Takes New Actions to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate

<p>Over the past year, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to take action to fight hatred and violence against Muslim and Arab communities. Members of these communities, including Palestinian Americans, have been murdered or wounded in hate-fueled attacks; shot and subjected to other assaults as they simply walked down streets; bullied at schools, including by having&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/14/fact-sheet-biden-%e2%81%a0harris-administration-takes-new-actions-to-counter-islamophobia-and-anti-arab-hate/">FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Takes New Actions to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

Israel – Hezbollah attack on an Israeli military base (13 Oct. 2024)

France condemns Hezbollah's attack on a military base in Binyamina, which killed four people and wounded several dozen others. France recalls its unshakeable commitment to Israel's security. Hezbollah's attacks against Israeli territory must stop. France reiterates the need for a cessation of hostilities and the full and complete implementation of Resolution 1701, which must allow a return to calm along the Blue Line. Only diplomatic channels can guarantee the stability, sovereignty and (…)

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

Israel/Palestinian Territories – Situation in the Gaza Strip (14 Oct. 2024)

France expresses its deep concern about the extremely serious situation in northern Gaza, where the Israeli army has been carrying out a military operation for several days with a heavy human toll and has issued evacuation orders affecting the entire population. France recalls that any forced displacement of a civilian population would constitute a serious violation of international law. France utterly condemns the Israeli strikes that targeted several civilian infrastructures, where (…)

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves South Carolina Disaster Declaration

<p>President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of South Carolina and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Debby from August 4 to August 22, 2024. Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/14/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-south-carolina-disaster-declaration-3/">President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves South Carolina Disaster Declaration</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

Publication of 2020 official development assistance figures by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (13 Apr. 2021)e

Joint Communiqué issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Recovery The Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) today published preliminary data on global official development assistance (ODA) for 2020. With ODA at €12.4 billion, i.e. 0.53% of gross national income (GNI) – up by 10.9% in real terms compared to the previous year –, France remains in fifth place among international aid (…)

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Church Service | Greenville, NC

<p>Koinonia Christian CenterGreenville, North Carolina 12:35 P.M. EDT THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, church.  Good afternoon. Oh, please have a seat.  Please have a seat.  (Laughter.)  Bishop O’neal, I thank you so very much.  We &#8212; we’ve had some time to visit before we came out into the sanctuary, and I just thank you for&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/10/13/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-at-a-church-service-greenville-nc/">Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Church Service | Greenville, NC</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

Statement by President Joe Biden Marking One Year Since the Killing of Wadee Alfayoumi

<p>On October 14th, one year ago today, six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, a bright and cheerful American Muslim boy of Palestinian descent, was brutally killed in his family’s home in Plainfield, Illinois. The attacker also repeatedly stabbed and seriously wounded Wadee’s mother, Hanan Shaheen, resulting in murder, attempted murder, and hate crime charges in Illinois. After this heinous&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/14/statement-by-president-joe-biden-marking-one-year-since-the-killing-of-wadee-alfayoumi/">Statement by President Joe Biden Marking One Year Since the Killing of Wadee Alfayoumi</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris Marking One Year Since the Killing of Wadee Alfayoumi

<p>One year ago, Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Palestinian American Muslim child, was stabbed to death at home. His mother, Hanan Shaheen, was stabbed 12 times in the same senseless attack.  There is no place for hate in America. Our nation’s founding principles tell us that every person should have the freedom to live safe from violence, hate, and bigotry – and no American, of&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/14/statement-by-vice-president-kamala-harris-marking-one-year-since-the-killing-of-wadee-alfayoumi/">Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris Marking One Year Since the Killing of Wadee Alfayoumi</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Lilly Ledbetter

<p>Lilly Ledbetter was a fearless leader and advocate for equal pay. Her fight began on the factory floor and reached the Supreme Court and Congress, and she never stopped fighting for all Americans to be paid what they deserve. Before she was a household name, Lilly was like so many other women in the workforce:&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/14/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-passing-of-lilly-ledbetter/">Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Lilly Ledbetter</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on the Passing of Lilly Ledbetter

<p>Lilly Ledbetter was a tireless leader in the fight for equal rights.  After finding out that she had been systematically underpaid for nearly two decades compared to her male colleagues, Lilly became an advocate for equal pay. Her efforts contributed to the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which strengthened protections against pay discrimination, and which was the first bill signed&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/14/statement-from-vice-president-kamala-harris-on-the-passing-of-lilly-ledbetter/">Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on the Passing of Lilly Ledbetter</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Mon Oct 14 2024

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Continues Recovery Efforts in North Carolina Following Hurricane Helene

<p>Following Hurricane Helene’s devastating impacts across the Southeast and Appalachia, the Biden-Harris Administration continues its robust Federal efforts to help communities recover and rebuild. The storm heavily impacted North Carolina, where the Administration continues to surge resources and assist families, business owners, farmers, and other impacted communities receive the support and assistance they need and&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/13/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-continues-recovery-efforts-in-north-carolina-following-hurricane-helene/">FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Continues Recovery Efforts in North Carolina Following Hurricane Helene</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Sun Oct 13 2024

Remarks by President Biden Before Air Force One Departure | Tampa, FL

<p>MacDill Air Force BaseTampa, Florida 12:35 P.M. EDT Q Mr. President, where was Governor DeSantis? Did you speak with him while you were here? THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn’t. But I &#8212; by &#8212; by the way, I think we&#8217;re making real progress. Everybody seems pretty happy with the way it&#8217;s going. We&#8217;re not leaving. &#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/10/13/remarks-by-president-biden-before-air-force-one-departure-tampa-fl/">Remarks by President Biden Before Air Force One Departure | Tampa, FL</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Sun Oct 13 2024

Statement from President Biden Congratulating Nobel Peace Prize Winners

<p>This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winners embody determination and resilience in the face of tragedy. For decades, the members of Nihon Hidankyo have served as a human testament to the catastrophic human toll of nuclear weapons, telling a story that humanity needs to hear. On behalf of the United States, I congratulate them on being awarded&#8230;</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/13/statement-from-president-biden-congratulating-nobel-peace-prize-winners/">Statement from President Biden Congratulating Nobel Peace Prize Winners</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov">The White House</a>.</p>

Updated: Sun Oct 13 2024