Based in Casablanca, the North Africa Regional Office covers five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.
North Africa is a natural interface between Europe and Africa and a historical crossroads of civilizations. It is now facing structural transformations, amplified by the crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite their different trajectories, the North African countries are facing the same climatic, social and territorial issues and challenges as those of the northern shore of the Mediterranean.
AFD Group is supporting the region in its efforts to achieve new environmental and societal balances. This action has three main objectives:
Strengthen the resilience of territories and support low-carbon transitions
The climate is a major strategic focus in this region where increased climate hazards make the resilience of economies, territories and ecosystems a priority. Our actions contribute to the energy transition, sustainable urban development and low-carbon mobility, and we strengthen dialogue on public policy, particularly on issues of energy independence and climate risk management.
Faced with a situation of water stress that is set to worsen, the Group is working to contribute to better management of water resources. It supports resilient, inclusive and low-carbon agricultural and food systems and promotes agro-ecological practices adapted to climate change and the development of sustainable fisheries. The Group is committed to promoting the use of natural systems to contribute to adaptation and mitigation efforts and thus preserve biodiversity and the functioning of marine, coastal and terrestrial ecosystems.
Contribute to the consolidation of a social contract
Social cohesion and the fight against inequalities are priorities for AFD Group in North Africa, particularly gender and social inequalities accentuated by the Covid-19 crisis. Support for the health and social protection sector remains central: the Group thus supports actions in favor of high-quality services accessible to as many people as possible. At the same time, we support the education, higher education and vocational training sectors to make them more responsive to market needs and create opportunities.
We also support transformations in governance of public action, including its digital aspects, to improve access and optimize its implementation and articulation with non-state stakeholders.
Finally, the Group supports the cultural and creative industries and the promotion of heritage and sport as important vectors for regional dialogue and social cohesion.
Promote economic and social transformations that create opportunities
The challenges facing the region have revealed the need for profound transformations. Access to employment is a priority, especially for young people and women. We therefore promote social and inclusive entrepreneurship, access to financing for economic stakeholders (SMEs and rural partners in particular) and innovative economic and social initiatives.
We also support social and technological innovation ecosystems and the development of digital technology as a factor of resilience to crises. We support actors of change who contribute to nurturing fair transitions and ongoing transformations in economic and social aspects as well as in access to rights and civic participation.
In addition, in order to take complementary action at the regional level, the Group's activity in the region is guided by two cross-cutting objectives: promote the production of knowledge and the sharing of expertise in the service of public policy dialogue, and seek partnership solutions to deal with regional issues
