Crises and conflicts

Launched in 2017 as part of France’s “Prevention, Resilience and Sustainable Peace” strategy, th is AFD’s peacebuilding tool. Minka provides €200 million per year to finance medium- and long-term structuring interventions. Its activities primarily focus on the determinants of crises, while taking their direct effects into account. Minka is structured around the prevention of violent conflicts. It is also involved during crises and in post-crisis support. 

Minka comprises four initiatives: Sahel, Lake Chad, Central African Republic and Middle East. These interventions correspond to France’s diplomatic priorities and are in line with Sustainable Development Goal n°16 to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies. 

This approach builds bridges between the humanitarian and stabilization activities carried out by the Crisis and Support Center (CDCS) of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the development activities financed by AFD. Minka projects stand out from conventional projects through their approach tailored to crisis and conflict situations, their simplified procedures, and the visible results they produce in the short and medium term.

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Women and girls are the primary victims of armed conflicts, but they are excluded from crisis management and conflict resolution processes.

Through its Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security” of 31 October 2000, the United Nations Security Council recognizes for the first time that respect for women’s rights, their protection, and their full participation in decision-making processes are an effective way of preventing conflicts and promoting sustainable peace. 

France is actively working towards this agenda as part of its feminist diplomacy and has adopted three successive “Women, Peace and Security” National Action Plans (NAP). In accordance with the recommendations of the High Council for Equality, the third NAP 2021-2025, which aims to “take gender issues into account in all France’s action for peace and security”, makes AFD a leading actor in its implementation.

The link between climate change and security is becoming increasingly prominent in the scientific literature and in international forums. Indeed, climate change acts as a catalyst for crises and conflicts, as it exacerbates other 
vulnerabilities. Its effects thereby compound the challenges of population growth and rapid urbanization, growing demand for resources, environmental degradation and unequal development. This increases existing risks of vulnerability and conflict. 

Taking account of the multi-dimensional effect, which also depends on the context of climate change, helps tackle social exclusion and strengthen AFD’s action for sustainable peace. Marginalized groups (women, young people, people living in poverty) are often more exposed to the adverse effects of climate change. They are also excluded from decision-making processes, whereas they can play a key role in the resolution of crises and conflicts. 

It involves building bridges between peacebuilding projects and climate change adaptation projects to make them more sensitive towards each other, without hindering action.

In areas where the outbreak of tensions can trigger crises, projects are implemented to reduce their root causes. They target various aspects, such as feelings of injustice, lack of access to basic services, and competition for access to natural resources.  

The aim of prevention is to help ensure that informed decisions are made to avoid shocks, or a situation suddenly escalating into a crisis. Indeed, the “cost of inaction” in crisis prevention is exorbitant: lost development opportunities, human costs, budgetary costs (external interventions, humanitarian aid), and contagion risks. Prevention costs two to seven times less than the management of violent conflicts depending on the country.

Objectives of the approach:

• Produce diagnostics and forward-looking analyses by analyzing the social, economic, political, environmental and security situation of the area
• Ensure that the tensions identified are taken into account in our intervention strategies 
• Implement projects that address the root causes of tensions in order to increase the resilience of populations, territories and institutions in an unstable environment

AFD has forged partnerships with the stakeholders most capable of strengthening its action in crisis and conflict situations. 

To prevent crises, identify risk and integrate the needs of populations, AFD works with think tanks that have extensive knowledge of its areas of operation: the International Crisis Group (ICG), URD Group and the French Institute of the Near East (IFPO). 

To strengthen its action between humanitarian aid and development, AFD has established partnerships with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). These partners, which are recognized as being neutral and independent, implement development projects with AFD grants and contribute to strengthening its legitimacy. 

To implement projects, AFD supports civil society organizations (CSOs) in France or from its countries of operation. AFD offers a wide range of tools tailored to the needs of CSOs and to their added value. An infographic available online gives details of the range of financing for CSOs.