The National Commission for Decentralized Cooperation (CNCD)

The National Commission for Decentralized Cooperation (CNCD)

The operations implemented by AFD in partnership with French local and regional authorities are in line with the orientations defined by the National Commission for Decentralized Cooperation. This forum for dialogue with French local and regional authorities gathers three equally represented major national associations of elected officials (Municipalities, Departments, Regions), those specialized at the international level (United Cities of France, CUF, and the French Association of the Council of the Communes and Regions of Europe, AFCCRE), as well as AFD. It is chaired by the Prime Minister or, when he is absent, the Minister for Cooperation.
CNCD is the main instrument for dialogue between the State and local/regional authorities. The aim is to improve coordination and enhance complementarity at the international level. It can consequently put forward any proposals that aim to improve and reinforce the way in which decentralized cooperation operates.
CNCD is also required to establish and update a status report on the decentralized cooperation conducted by local/regional authorities. In this respect, Article 6 of the Decree of 24th October 1994 sets out that “the local and regional authorities shall keep the Commission informed of any act of cooperation that falls within the framework of Chapter IV of the abovementioned Law of 6th February 1992, concluded with the foreign local authorities and their groups. The Commission shall collect and, when required, update this information”.
Its secretariat is managed by the Delegate for the Local Authorities’ External Action (DAECL), who is appointed by the French Cabinet and reports to the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
In addition to the secretariat of the CNCD, the DAECL is also in charge of the following missions:
•    gathering information concerning the relations French local and regional authorities have with foreign local authorities, analyzing this information and drawing the Government’s attention to any problems that may arise in this respect;
•    providing support to Prefects (high-ranking civil servants) for all matters concerning the external action of local and regional authorities;
•    advising, in collaboration with Prefects, local and regional authorities on matters concerning external relations;
•    generally managing coordination between the different State services and central administrations, particularly those of the Ministry of the Interior and Decentralization and those of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for any problems that concern the external action of local authorities.