aide-mémoire

{{Short description|French loanword for memory-aid}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}

{{Wiktionary}}

Aide-mémoire ({{IPA|fr|ɛdmemwaʁ}}, "memory aid") is a French loanword meaning "a memory-aid; a reminder or memorandum, especially a book or document serving this purpose".

In international relations, an aide-mémoire is a proposed agreement or negotiating text circulated informally among delegations for discussion without committing the originating delegation's country to the contents. It has no identified source, title, or attribution and no standing in the relationship involved. Such a text is also referred to as a non-paper in many international organizations, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade/World Trade Organization{{cite news |url=http://www.enhancedif.org/en/file/291/download?token=JlSPv1g_ |title=AIDE MEMOIRE INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK DIAGNOSTIC STUDY – YEMEN PRELIMINARY VISIT FEBRUARY 4 –13, 2002. (yemen_am.pdf) |format=pdf |publisher=Enhanced Integrated Framework |accessdate=18 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106191057/http://www.enhancedif.org/en/file/291/download?token=JlSPv1g_ |archive-date=6 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://forum-menschenrechte.de/cms/upload/PDF/ab_05-2008/aides_memoires/Vietnam-IGFM.pdf|title=Aide-Mémoire 7th Session of the UN Human Rights Council 3rd to 28th March 2008|publisher=International Society Human Rights (ISHR)|access-date=2009-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719021605/http://forum-menschenrechte.de/cms/upload/PDF/ab_05-2008/aides_memoires/Vietnam-IGFM.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-19|url-status=dead}} and sometimes within the European Union.{{cite web | url=http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/doc/publi/pdipl/abctxz.html | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325100821/http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/doc/publi/pdipl/abctxz.html |archivedate=2012-03-25 | title=ABC of Diplomacy - K until Z | publisher=Federal Department of Foreign Affairs | location=Switzerland | accessdate=8 June 2021 }}