We publish an English translation of the French decree establishing an "Inter-Ministerial Mission to Fight Against the Sects". Not only the name tells it all, but an anti-cultist, former socialist MP Alain Vivien, president of the anti-cult movement CCMM (Center Against Mental Manipulations) has been appointed as President. The previously established Observatory of Cults, although including a number of anti-cultists, has been disbanded as not effective enough.

Article 1: An Inter-ministerial Mission to fight against sects is hereby established by the Prime Minister with the purpose of:

1) Analysing the phenomenon of sects; it must therefore be the recipient of information different concerned civil services have about the actions of sects; it can also can demand that Civil Services carry out surveys or research in this field;

2) Initiating appropriate measures within the Public Services in order to respect public freedom, to predict and fight against actions of sects that violate human dignity or threaten public order. The Mission will inform the relevant civil services of activities they become aware of that they judge need action on their part; it will bring to the attention of the Public Prosecutor any acts that should be prosecuted;

3) Contributing to information about, and training of public representatives on methods to fight against sects;

4) To inform the public of the danger that the sect phenomenon represents;

5) To participate to meetings and activities concerning subjects under its responsibility that are directed at an international level;

Article 2: The President of the Mission is elected by decree for 5 years. He is assisted by a Secretary also named by decree issued by the Prime Minister. Representatives placed under the Mission Secretary's responsibility are also named by a decree from the Prime Minister.

Article 3: The President of the Mission chairs an Orientation Council composed of political figures named by decree issued by the Prime Minister, based on their experience and competence.
The Council is to meet at least twice a year by convocation of the Mission's President. The President establishes the order of the day.

Article 4: The President establishes every year, after consultation with the Orientation Council, an action program for the Mission. In the same way, he makes an annual activity report that is given to the Prime Minister and is published. This report is to state which dealings with sects have been brought to the knowledge of the Mission and that are judged as sects violating human dignity or that threaten public order.

Article 5: The President of the Mission is to periodically meet with a working group composed of representatives of the concerned Ministers.The meetings of this working group are to provide the civil services concerned the opportunity to exchange information about the activities of sects and to co-ordinate their actions in order to fight against sects.

Article 6: The Decree 96.387 dated 9 May 1996 which created an Inter-ministerial Observatory on sects is revoked.

Article 7 : The Prime Minister is responsible for the execution of the present decree that is to be published in the "Official Journal" of the French Republic.


Executed in Paris, 7 October 1998
By Jacques CHIRAC
President of the Republic

The Prime Minister,
Lionel JOSPIN