Our Social Responsibility

In 2018, AFD Group adopted a new social responsibility policy for the 2018–2022 period. This policy covers its direct and indirect impacts comprehensively.
AFD publishes an annual CSR report to communicate on this approach and its outcomes and to improve dialogue with its partners on the topic.

This report applies the technical guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI4), ISO 26000, Global Compact, and the French law on transparency obligations for enterprises in social, environmental, and societal matters.

For further information:

• Environmental & Social Complaints Mechanism 

Supporting sustainable projects with strong impacts for populations involves submitting results to the judgments and opinions of all stakeholders. Informing, conducting dialogue and providing responses are consequently among the pillars of the AFD Group.

AFD’s adoption of a transparency policy aims to meet the increasing demand expressed by public opinion and civil society actors to be better informed about the strategy, objectives and results of French Official Development Assistance. As an institution with a public service mission, AFD has committed to being accountable for its activities by making institutional, strategic and operational information available on its website. It also involves raising awareness and giving an understanding of our vision, our mandates and our actions. 

Furthermore, AFD sets an environmental and social complaints mechanism in order to strengthen the transparency and accountability of AFD-funded projects and operations.
 

Any person or group of persons affected by an AFD-funded project from an environmental or social perspective can submit a complaint via the Complaints Mechanism.

Once the complaint has been submitted, it is registered by the mechanism’s Secretariat, under the supervision of AFD’s Ethics Advisor. A panel of independent experts decides whether it is eligible and, if so, deals with the complaint.

Thanks to this mechanism, AFD has strengthened the environmental and social monitoring of the projects it finances, with the aim of enhancing transparency and accountability towards its partners.
 

As a stakeholder in the French government’s public policy on solidarity and sustainable investment for developing and emerging countries and France’s Overseas Territories, AFD Group pays particular attention to ensure that its financing is properly allocated and that such funds are used for their intended purpose. The Group promotes the highest norms and standards of integrity: fair business practices, financial transparency and zero tolerance towards fraud and corruption.
 

Adopted in 2014, the sustainable development analysis and opinion mechanism is the tool used by AFD Group to ensure that every project it finances is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through an analysis and rating system, it qualifies each project’s contribution to sustainable development. By applying this mechanism, the positive impacts of projects can thus be optimized and those that could have a negative impact on one or more dimensions of sustainable development are excluded.