On Tuesday December 19, 2017, at the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Legrand, together with Hervé Gouyet, President of Electriciens sans frontières⁽¹⁾ and 9 other businesses⁽²⁾, signed a partnership agreement for the management of humanitarian emergency situations.

Since 2008, France’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs has developed a crisis management scheme entitled “Crisis support Centre”, which is tasked with coordinating the work of different ministries to ensure the safety of French citizens abroad, as well as the government’s response to any humanitarian emergencies.

The agreement underlines the significance of the commitment by 10 industrial manufacturers, who agree to make available financial, logistical, material and human resources to Électriciens sans frontières for the performance of emergency aid work and to reinforce the capacity of response to emergency situations.

In previous years, as provided for in the partnership agreement concluded between Legrand and Electriciens sans frontières back in 2007, Legrand already assisted the NGO in the context of emergency aid work subsequent to natural disasters and other emergencies. In 2013, for instance, the Philippines subsidiary provided equipment and logistical support to ESF to assist with its efforts after typhoon Haiyan had devastated parts of the country. Similarly, following cyclone Pam in 2015, the Legrand teams in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia organised the transfer of a team of 3 ESF volunteers to Vanuatu, and Tanna island in particular, assisting with administrative formalities and transportation as well as the choice of material, and establishing contacts with local electricians. More recently, in 2017, in the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria, Legrand teams linked up with ESF volunteers to liaise with material distributors in the affected areas.

⁽¹⁾ Electriciens sans frontières is an NGO founded for international solidarity. Since 1986 it has been involved in various projects aimed at providing access to electricity and water for the populations most in need, so as to improve their living conditions by making access to energy a key lever of human and economic development.
⁽²⁾ The partnership agreement was signed by: Fondation Groupe EDF, Enedis, Legrand, Fondation Nexans, Prysmian, Fondation Rexel, RTE, Schneider Electric, SDMO and Sonepar.