The Middle East Institute and LIFE are thrilled to host Ambassador Pierre Duquesne of France for a keynote conversation as part of MEI’s inaugural Lebanon policy conference. Since September 2020, Amb. Duquesne has served as the French ambassador in charge of coordinating international support to Lebanon. In an earlier role, he managed the implementation of the CEDRE conference resolutions, an international effort that resulted in reform-conditional aid pledges exceeding $11bn for Lebanon.
What is the future of the “French Initiative”? How has the role of French and European diplomacy in Lebanon evolved in recent months? How does France intend to continue playing its leading role in trying to support Lebanon?
The conversation is moderated by Charbel Abou Charaf, a member of the LIFE Advocate committee.
Ambassador Pierre Duquesne
Ambassador in Charge of Coordinating International Support to Lebanon, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
Pierre Duquesne is an alumnus of the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA) and the Institut d'Études Politiques (IEP) in Paris. From 1980 to 1996, Pierre Duquesne held various positions in the Treasury Department of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Duquesne was Advisor to the Prime Minister for economic and financial, internal and international affairs. From 2001 to 2007, he held the position of Executive Director for France at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In 2008, he joined the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs as the Ambassador in charge of economic, reconstruction and development issues. From October 2014 to October 2017, he was Ambassador, Permanent Representative of France to the OECD. In October 2017, Mr. Pierre Duquesne was appointed Ambassador, Interministerial Delegate for the Mediterranean. During this time, he was in charge of the CEDRE Conference held in April 2018. Since September 2020, Pierre Duquesne has held the position of Ambassador in charge of coordinating international support to Lebanon.
Charbel Abou Charaf, moderator
Partner, White & Case LLP; Member, LIFE Advocate
Charbel Abou Charaf is a partner with global law firm White & Case. Previously based in New York and currently based between London and the GCC, Charbel advises governments, institutional investors, large corporates and family offices globally in a wide range of corporate M&A, private equity, restructurings and capital markets transactions. He is a member of the LIFE Advocate Committee, the LIFE London Committee, and represents LIFE as external counsel on a number of matters.