After a short break in their course, the auditors from the 239th session in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region met up again in Toulon for a third week of training on the theme of "Cooperation and international conflicts". The week included visits to Orange Marine, CNIM Systèmes Industriels, the Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique and the Toulon naval base. Lectures focused on current geopolitical events around the world, with a particular focus on strategic reconfigurations in the Middle East, transatlantic relations, the situation in Ukraine and the military programming law, ending with a presentation of the French Navy.
The fourth and final week of the session, in Marseille, was then devoted to crisis management and risk prevention, with several conferences highlighting local national security issues. The Prefect of Police for the Bouches-du-Rhône département, Pierre-Edouard Colliex, gave an insight into the new security challenges facing the department, after presenting the lessons learned from the organisation of the Olympic Games in the city. Chloé Debiève, in charge of the Influence and Information Countermeasures domain at the Joint Concepts, Doctrines and Experiments Centre of the Armed Forces General Staff (CICDE-EMA), gave an overview of the action taken by the French services in the fight against information manipulation.
The programme of visits began with a visit to the Memorial to the Deportations in Marseilles, a journey through history that served as a reminder of the importance of remembrance in understanding contemporary defence and security issues. The audience then visited the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime, where an overview of training programmes for the younger generation provided an opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities of the maritime sector, before a visit to the carrier CMA-CGM to find out what goes on behind the scenes.
THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE MARINE FIRE BRIGADE
The programme continued with a presentation of the action and intervention capabilities of Marseille's marine fire brigade. This multi-purpose military corps, essential to the city's safety, demonstrated its professionalism through a concise demonstration of its equipment and intervention methods. The highlight of the week was the inspiring testimony of former footballer Florent Malouda, who shared his commitment to the Foreign Legion Reserve, underlining the values of solidarity and dedication that drive him.
Another highlight was the presentation of the annual work of the 09 Provence regional association of IHEDN auditors. The event, attended by the Director of IHEDN, Lieutenant General Hervé de Courrèges, and the Head of the Regional and Specialised Activities Department, Sub-Prefect Jean-Michel Delvert, provided an opportunity to take stock of the ideas and projects developed over the year by the regional auditors. This event strengthened the cohesion of the participants around regional defence issues and helped to illustrate the possibilities for involvement offered to auditors after the end of a session.
The week ended on a high note on Friday 18 October at the Château Saint-Victor, the residence of the military governor of Marseille. The auditors were officially integrated into the IHEDN community at a solemn ceremony presided over by General de Courrèges, accompanied by the General Officer of the Southern Defence and Security Zone, Lieutenant General Thierry Laval, and the Prefect of the PACA region, Christophe Mirmand. This reception marked the end of an intense session, crowned with success and the sharing of valuable experiences.
