A dedicated programme was created in October 2006 to promote the work of the GICHD within French-speaking countries affected by mines and ERW.
This programme has three key aims:
- Strengthening the role of the GICHD in French-speaking affected countries;
- Promoting French-language mine action expertise;
- Increasing knowledge exchange, in particular between French-speaking and English-speaking mine action communities.
To promote these aims, the Francophone Programme:
- Publishes and translates important documents for the Francophone mine and ERW action community
- Has created the Website Bibliomines, in partnership with three African centres. This online library collects all documentation as well as events existing in French on mine and ERW action
- Organises annual seminars of African Francophone actors engaged in humanitarian action against mines and ERW on their national territories, as a platform for the exchange of expertise and information
- Identifies and promotes Francophone expertise on the international level.
