France

By Daniel Morris | 27. November 2017

I- The State’s Obligation to Protect Human Rights

The National Framework

13. The Role of Public Agencies

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) [page 28]

… [AFD] also has an exclusion list which prevents it from financing projects that involve … diamond mining activities outside of the Kimberley Process.

Actions Underway: 

  • When evaluating extractive industry projects, the AFD ensures that funding recipients comply with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), without excluding those who respect EITI standards but are not based in EITI countries.

15. Economic Sectors and Human Rights

The Extractive Sector [page 34]

the NAP cites France’s participation in multilateral and european initiatives aiming to strengthen the legal and normative frameworks regulating companies in the extractive sector, in particular in contexts of fragile governance: France participates in the monitoring and contributes to the funding of the implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (paragraph 3, p36); France participated in the development and adoption of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in the Extractive Sector (paragraph 4,p36); it played a major role at the EU in negotiations regarding the regulation on conflict minerals and was one of the first European countries to transpose the 26 June 2013 directive imposing obligations of transparency on extractive companies (paragraph 5,p36); and France’s President committed to adhere to the EITI (paragraph 1, p36). This section concludes by indicating that the implementation of the EITI will “contribute to enhancing the transparency of financial flows and tripartite dialogue between the State, business and civil society on the social and environmental impact of extractive activity on the national territory” (paragraph 2, p37).

Actions Underway

  • France has launched an ambitious process to become an EITI country.
  • France raises awareness among French businesses of their due diligence
    obligations with respect to mineral supply chains as set out in relevant regulatory
    initiatives (the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation and
    national law on due diligence).