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VIES Charter

What is the VIES Charter?

La Charte des Volontariats Internationaux d’Echange et de Solidarité (VIES – The International Exchange and Solidarity Volunteering Charter) is the fruit of talks held within the France Volontaires network between key VIES associations.

History

The first Charter was signed on the 1st of October between the state and 39 associations, with Prime Minister François Fillon in attendance.  
Three years after this signing, around thirty representatives from the signing organisations participated in the Observatory-run quantitative and qualitative review of its application. Here they worked on a reformulated Charter in order to present a better-adapted and better-shared text that is used more by actors.  
The text is in the process of being finalised.

Objectives of the Charter

The International Exchange and Solidarity Volunteering Charter confirms the common values of the key VIES associations and intends to improve the quality of volunteering commitments abroad. Its objectives are:

  • To offer a common reference document that states the visions, values and the commitments of key VIES players.
  • To promote quality practices within the VIES sector: synergy of key players, pooling skills, developing partnerships, improvement in the support of the volunteer’s progress, security conditions, etc.
  • To highlight the value of volunteering experience, particularly to the general public and different institutions.
  • Mobilise all the key players (the state, regional groups, networks of associations, businesses and foundations, etc.) to VIES’s advantage.

To whom is the charter directed?

The VIES Charter is based on collective work, open to all the unitary and voluntary commitments of actors abroad.
It involves:

  • The key VIES associations;
  • Volunteers and volunteering candidates;
  • Public authorities, ministers for foreign affairs, other ministerial departments and key public players who support VIES.
  • Partners – international solidarity platforms and regional groups, businesses that support VIES – share the same vision for international volunteering.

To find out more about the VIES Charter, contact: Agnès Golfier