International technical expertise: a network serving shared interests

French expertise provides practical support for the transformations underway in France’s partner countries. The sectors range from governance to climate and from health to education, and they include the strategic challenges of tomorrow: innovation, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and geospatial technology. By deploying professionals from government administrations, research centres, local authorities and the private sector, Expertise France helps to channel expertise into supporting its partners’ public policies and France’s policy on international partnerships.

For its 5th edition, the International Expertise Days brought together more than 200 international technical experts, national experts sent overseas on assignment, and technical experts working in French overseas territories. They come from various backgrounds and have been deployed around the world. The event was held at France’s National Institute of Public Service (INSP) and could also be attended online. Its sessions provided a valuable opportunity for experts, clients and Expertise France teams to discuss together. The programme combined analysis, discussions and feedback on experiences, with the aim of deepening understanding of French strategies and exploring contemporary challenges to ensure the success of missions.

These two days highlighted the experts’ contribution to achieving the objectives shared by France and its partners, as well as the added value of this individual expertise system, which rounds out other forms of cooperation such as projects and financial instruments. Discussions focused on how to:

• better link these various initiatives to maximise their effectiveness; 
• facilitate dialogue between experts, institutional partners, and Expertise France teams;
• identify opportunities for collaboration; and 
• strengthen the sense of belonging to a shared ecosystem. 

Indeed, international technical expertise is not just about transferring skills: it is based on dialogue with partner institutions, adapting to local contexts and building sustainable solutions.

This collective dimension lies at the heart of the system. The conference provides an opportunity to exchange views, share knowledge and create synergies among overseas assignments that may be far apart geographically but similar in terms of the challenges they face. This discussion process continues throughout the year via 14 thematic and geographical communities devoted in particular to global health, climate change, energy, agriculture, gender, education and innovation.

The conference also provided an opportunity to explore major strategic issues: securing value chains, science diplomacy, research, innovation and technology, as well as a wide-ranging debate on cybercrime, disinformation, and the French and European responses to ensure the resilience of democracies.

The experts based within partner institutions have not just an advisory role: they help promote French expertise, develop cooperation projects and promote the shared interests of France and its partners. To this end, they help bring about sustainable partnerships and opportunities based on mutual trust and shared learning, thereby creating opportunities for French stakeholders – both public and private – as well as for their local counterparts.

In 2025, Expertise France helped guide 480 experts on assignment, compared with 195 in 2022. Gender parity has nearly been achieved, even in the most challenging regions. In four years, the number of experts deployed has thus increased by more than 146%. In 2025 alone, 125 new experts joined the system.

This expertise is primarily provided on behalf of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Directorate-General of the Treasury (DGT). In 2025, a total of 480 experts were supported by Expertise France and deployed to national institutions or multilateral organisations: 374 by the MEAE, 39 by AFD (including in French overseas territories) and 37 by the DGT. They work in more than 110 countries, within national institutions or multilateral organisations.

Behind these figures lie, above all, the specific assignments and their tangible results. In 2025, for example, experts helped develop university partnerships in Azerbaijan, establish businesses in the non-timber forest products sector in Zambia, strengthen connectivity in Armenia, promote the French language in Qatar, boost cultural heritage conservation in Pakistan, and develop space cooperation between France and the United States.

This diversity illustrates the added value of expertise at work in as close cooperation as possible within partner institutions. Around two thirds of the assignments were carried out within national institutions (e.g. ministries, public bodies, universities and research centres), and the remainder were with multilateral organisations. The experts thus help to support public policy, share know-how and foster sustainable cooperation.

The challenge now is to turn this community into a genuine collective driving force, by capitalising on and measuring the results and impact of each assignment in even greater detail. In addition to the portal for mobilising international expertise that includes nearly 430 experts, the communities of practice promote the sharing of experiences and networking.

It has already been five years since these events began celebrating the collective intelligence, commitment and achievements of those who work on the ground to bring French expertise to places where it can make a difference.