24 February 2025
AFD is France’s inclusive public development bank. They commit financing and technical assistance to projects that genuinely improve everyday life, both in developing and emerging countries and in the French overseas provinces.
In keeping with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, AFD works in many sectors — energy, healthcare, biodiversity, water, digital technology, professional training, among others — to assist with transitions towards a safer, more equitable, and more sustainable world : a world in common.
Through a network of 85 field offices, they currently finance,monitor, and assist more than 2,500 development projects in 108 countries.
THEIR PRIORITIES
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 their core priorities.
50% of grants and loans to foreign countries in 2016 have climate and development as co-benefits. With €24 billion committed since 2005, the AFD Group is one of the main international donors seeking to reconcile climate and development.
50% of the amounts AFD commits to foreign countries go to Africa, which is the priority target of French official development assistance.
50% of projects initiated in 2016 also further gender equality, which is a powerful factor of development and the fight against poverty.
50% of 2016 commitments were carried out as cofinancing with partners. Cofinancing makes it possible to multiply impacts and make more ambitious projects possible.
50% of their commitments in 2016 were devoted to "non-sovereign" activities. AFD provides financing not only for States, but more broadly for all the stakeholders of development: projects initiated by public and private enterprises, local communities, banks, investment funds and NGOs.
50% of commitments are made in countries belonging to the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).
