THE SEFI's missions are centered on international topics:
- it informs its members on international issues of common interest;
- it exchanges views with its members and works out proposals on matters regarding international business;
- it presents its views to French and foreign public authorities, to the international institutions, especially financial, such as the multilateral development banks, as well as the associations and professional federations, in France and abroad;
- the SEFI produces every year the consolidated figures of its members’ international activity and the list of their major contracts obtained abroad. It also publishes a monthly newsletter (« SEFI News ») containing selected publications and press articles devoted to the international construction sector.
For example, THE SEFI has made a contribution on the following issues:
- the promotion of French exports and the export credit financing system (simplification, improvement, public-private partnership);
- the effectiveness of official development assistance;
- the tendering procedures and standard model contracts of bilateral and multilateral agencies;
- the rules to strengthen integrity and fight against corruption;
- the corporate social and environmental responsibility;
- the key principles governing public-private partnership projects and international infrastructure concessions;
- the participation in the consultation processes of major international organisations such as the OECD (guiding principles and codes of conduct, environment, etc.), the European authorities (european financing, the reform of public procurement, the environmental responsibility of companies, Public-Private Partnerships, official development assistance, etc.), the WTO, the International Chamber of Commerce, the specialised institutions of the United Nations (UNCITRAL...), the World Bank Group, etc., either directly or in liaison with and through MEDEF (Mouvement des Entreprises de France), EIC (European International Contractors) and CICA (Confederation of International Contractors' Associations).
The convergence of the SEFI’s international activities with FNTP’s European actions provided the genesis of the FNTP’s « Commission Europe-International » in May 2005. Its three yearly meetings are held jointly with the Europe-International Commission of the FFB (Fédération Française du Bâtiment).
