Our Role

Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group is a public institution that implements France’s policy in the areas of development and international solidarity. Development is one of the country’s three pillars for external action, along with diplomacy and defence. Our mission is to contribute to the economic, social, and environmental progress of low and middle-income countries. 

In practical terms, this mission is carried out by providing loans, grants, expertise or technical assistance. These forms of assistance are granted to States, local authorities, companies, foundations or NGOs and are used to complete projects in many different fields including climate, biodiversity, energy, education and urban planning, health, digital technology, sport, and training. 

AFD Group comprises AFD and its subsidiary Proparco, which is dedicated to financing private-sector stakeholders. Thanks to its network of 85 agencies throughout the world, AFD Group finances and monitors over 4,000 development projects and programmes. In 2019, the Group’s commitments amounted to €14.1 billion.

AFD works to meet the 17 UN sustainable development goals (SDG) established in 2015, as well as the Paris Agreement on climate. 

We believe that all countries must frame and implement public policies that help preserve the climate and ecosystems as well as improve social cohesion and economic prosperity. All countries should be transitioning to a world characterized by small ecological footprints and a high human development index. 

To successfully make this transition, we must respect the uniqueness of each country, prioritize collective action, and build partnerships to find solutions that benefit everyone.

Public investment is key to implementing these solutions, to initiate projects in neglected or low-profit sectors, and to provide a boost to activities in the business and social sectors. 

This investment is truly a driving force that multiplies the effects of our efforts.
 

Through the Interministerial Committee on International Cooperation and Development (CICID), the French government defines the main development and international solidarity policies that AFD implements. The CICID’s decision of 8 February reaffirmed the following priorities: international stability, climate, education, gender equality and health. 

In order to support these priorities, in 2017 the French government agreed on an increase in funds that would reach 0.55% of the gross national income dedicated to Official Development Assistance (ODA) by 2022, its highest level since 1995.

AFD Group has defined foundational commitments aimed at meeting these ambitions: 100% Paris Agreement and 100% social link. We are convinced that these two major commitments, tied to preserving the climate and well-being among populations, are closely related. Together, they form the foundations for our mission.

AFD supports projects in 115 countries and in French overseas departments. The territories, countries and regions submit specific requests to AFD Group, and we respond with appropriate solutions and means.
 

Half of the Group’s funding and the majority (80%) of grants are concentrated on the African continent.

AFD’s action is not limited to funding—it also includes knowledge generation, training, assessment, and raising awareness. AFD leads a wide range of complementary efforts to support social, energy, ecological, digital, citizen and economic transitions.

AFD Group is designed to be a platform that gathers all those who can provide resources, expertise, and capacity for action—companies, local authorities and NGOs, and other donors—and then offers these resources to developing and emerging countries.

Being a platform means remaining open and ready to listen and being a source of innovation and solutions to serve the needs of populations and other stakeholders. AFD is responsible for this role combining international outreach and the mobilization of French and European stakeholders.

We want the solutions we offer to be shared and jointly developed with project leaders and populations. We strive to create exchanges of skills and experiences with those benefiting from funding and work to generate and cultivate dynamics that serve our common interests.