A permanent Wallonia-Québec committee was formed in 1980 with a view to developing industrial, scientific and technological cooperation. This cooperation was confirmed in 1983 with the signing of a cooperation agreement between Québec and the Wallonia Region of Belgium.

Meanwhile, in 1982, Québec and the Communauté française de Belgique signed an agreement creating the Commission mixte permanente de coopération in the fields of education, culture, French language, education, health, social assistance and scientific research.

The two French-speaking entities subsequently obtained, through four successive constitutional reforms, the authority to be involved in international relations in their respective areas of jurisdiction. They were then joined by a third federation, specifically the Commission communautaire française (COCOF) de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale.

Intent on renewing and revitalizing this cooperation, in March 1999, Québec signed a framework agreement that terminated the previous agreements and created the Commission mixte permanente de coopération Québec-Wallonie-Bruxelles, which thereafter grouped the three Belgian French-speaking entities under one umbrella.

The Commission mixte enabled the governments of Wallonia, Brussels and Québec to conduct periodic reviews of the direction and priorities of cooperation, shared interest sectors and activity planning.

The Commission holds a conference alternately in Québec and Belgium every two years. At this conference, the cooperation activities program is adopted for the upcoming year and the necessary resources are allocated, with both governments investing equally in the selected programs.

The areas of activity are as follows:

• biotechnology;
• information technologies;
• the environment;
• new materials;
• culture;
• education and training;
• linguistic cooperation;
• scientific research;
• health;
• social affairs;
• youth.

L'Agence Québec-Wallonie-Bruxelles pour la jeunesse (AQWBJ) (French version), created in 1984, constitutes the first permanent cooperation agency dedicated to youth. Each year it supports over 700 internship (work term) programs and youth exchanges on both sides of the Atlantic.

In accordance with the different sector priorities, the projects selected yield concrete results and have a multiplier effect.