7 Development Highlights of 2023

One Forest Summit 

"In a country like Gabon with 88% forest cover, you can't build roads, hospitals or schools, or grow crops to produce food, without cutting down the forest," explains Marthe Mapangou, forestry specialist with the Libreville office. Although threatened by human activity and climate change, forests remain essential to life as areas of biodiversity, carbon sinks and sources of food.

The One Forest Summit in the Gabonese capital last march showcased solutions for balancing the needs of local communities with the preservation of trees.  

Read the article & watch the video on how forestry and sustainable development can go hand in hand

 

United Nations Water Conference 

The United Nations Water Conference held in March in New York underscored the role of access to water and sanitation in various sectors related to the Sustainable Development Goals, from food security and health to biodiversity and even peacekeeping. 

In water and sanitation, AFD Group supports projects  that aim to reduce inequalities in access, act on a territorial scale for greater climate and ecological resilience, and improve governance for efficient and sustainable services. 

 

Summit for a New Global Financial Pact

The Summit for a New Global Financial Pact gathered heads of state, multilateral development banks, NGOs, the private sector and international organizations in Paris in June to lay the groundwork for a reformed financial system, which rethinks financial institutions, financing resources and debt relief.

The summit emphasized the need to combine anti-poverty measures, decarbonization of the economy and biodiversity protection, a stance long held by AFD Group.

 

Finance in Common Summit (FiCS)

A meeting of unparalleled scope, the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) gathered more than 500 public development banks (PDBs) from around the world in September in Cartagena, Colombia.  Joined by as well as researchers, CSOs and the private sector, they took stock of progress made since the joint declaration made at the inaugural meeting in 2020.

A wide range of initiatives have allowed PDBs to press ahead in matters of financial inclusion, sustainable infrastructure financing and debt suspension clauses for countries most vulnerable to climate change. Advances include the PDB platform for financing sustainable agricultural systems, established in 2021 by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which is now operational.

 

Création Africa

Held in Paris in October, the "Création Africa" Cultural and Creative Industries Forum helped cement the Africa-France partnership, particularly by showcasing artist-creators and producers.  

AFD Group supports the players in sectors ranging from TV series and animated films, to video games and comics, all the while nurturing new talent. In Senegal, AFD partnered with Ina to support the Kourtrajmé Dakar audiovisual vocational training programme in writing and directing.

 

Sport Impact Summit

How effective is sport as a driver of economic and social development? The Sport Impact Summit held in Dakar in November was the very first "Sport & Development" summit on African soil. 

With Senegal slated to host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the summit provided an opportunity to visit sports facilities buiilt from projects supported by AFD Group. Projects include "Pour un sourire d’enfant" (For a child's smile), a fencing and restorative justice program for children from vulnerable backgrounds and in conflict with the law; the Seed Academy, which welcomes 40 student-athletes every year, combining basketball and studies; and Dakar Sacré-Cœur, which offers soccer training courses accessible to all. 

See more on Sports as a Driver of Development

 

COP28 

The long-awaited climate conference in December was the first to culminate in a collective pledge to transition away from fossil fuels. Following COP28 in Dubai, AFD Group announced a series of new flagship projects and partnerships, including a pilot phase of debt suspension in case of climate disasters, plans for climate change adaptation activities and financing for those most in need, as well as financing of nature-based solutions to protect ecosystems in the Mediterranean. Phase 2 of the Gemmes Vietnam research program has also kicked off.

Read the infographic: Reducing Reliance on Carbon in Vietnam

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