Financing development means working for everyone's benefit, to prevent crises and to build shared prosperity. Reconciling the two urgent challenges of climate and development, as well as fighting inequality, are our core priorities.

In its meeting of 30 November 2016, France's Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development (CICID) expanded AFD's geographical and sectoral mandate. Meanwhile, the National Assembly has increased its resources. AFD is thus becoming more powerful, more open and more flexible, to better meet the South's challenges.

AFD has now become a financing company. It was granted this status by the European Central Bank on 30 June 2017. It had previously had the status of a credit institution under French law. This change does not affect AFD’s EPIC (Public Industrial and Commercial Undertaking) status under French law, and its mandate and objectives remain unchanged.

The Central Fund for Free France (Caisse Centrale de la France Libre – CCFL) was created by General de Gaulle in London in 1941 during the Second World War. Its purpose was to provide the administration of Free France with a financial institution to act as a Public Treasury, central bank and development bank for territories. Its area of influence rapidly spread in both the French overseas territories and Africa, and its monetary role declined, with the focus turning towards project financing.

Over the years, CCFL, which became Agence Française de Développement in 1998, has developed its missions, its partners and its fields of action in order to adapt to changes in international balances and development issues.

Pour nous, accompagner des projets durables qui aient de forts impacts pour les populations, cela passe par la confrontation des résultats aux jugements et aux avis de l’ensemble des parties prenantes.
Informer, dialoguer et répondre sont donc parmi les piliers de la responsabilité sociétale de notre groupe.

La mondialisation a lié comme jamais les destins des nations. Ce qui se passe là-bas, nous impacte ici. Les enjeux et les problèmes sont devenus communs. Mais les solutions le sont aussi... Et elles peuvent émerger de chaque pays.
Dans ce monde interconnecté, le développement est un véritable trait d’union. A l’AFD, nous avons pour mission de contribuer à faire mieux comprendre ses enjeux.