Expertise France a “successful” integration into AFD Group

By the editorial staff

« Significant growth and new European commitments » is how Expertise France sums up its year. A year marked by a major reorganization for the French agency, which became part of the AFD group in January 2022.

Expertise France is a public agency, an interministerial player in international technical cooperation and a subsidiary of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD Group). The second largest agency in Europe, it designs and implements projects to strengthen public policies in developing and emerging countries. Governance, security, climate, health, education… AFD operates in key development areas and works with its partners to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For a world in common, according to its slogan.

Expertise France has launched 175 new cooperation projects worldwide, two thirds of which are in Africa and the Middle East

Last year, Expertise France grew its business by 5% to reach a turnover of 341 million euros. Expertise France launched 175 new cooperation projects worldwide, two-thirds of which were in Africa and the Middle East. At the request of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the agency also undertook to double the number of international technical experts deployed in France’s partner countries between 2020 and 2023, an objective that will be achieved by the end of the year. This confirms the robustness of Expertise France’s business model, which will allow it to be successfully integrated into the AFD group ».

Africa thus remains at the heart of the institution’s priorities and, like AFD, it is committed to « contributing to a renewed partnership between Africa and France on an equal footing ». Other priorities include supporting countries in the European neighborhood in their efforts to converge with EU standards, helping countries make the right energy transition and improving the security of vulnerable populations.

The agency’s business continues to be largely focused on the African continent, to which it devotes 65% of its total business volume

An opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to sustainable development and to Europe. The EU will account for half of its business by 2022. Africa too. While Expertise France is active in 145 countries, « the agency’s business continues to be largely focused on the African continent, to which it devotes 65% of its total business volume,” the agency points out.

More specifically, in line with the AFD Group’s guidelines, 62% of the projects signed during the year contribute to the fight against gender inequality, and more than €6 billion in financing was committed for the climate, representing around 80% of France’s share of the UNFCCC’s climate financing target.

Health and climate

Similarly, Expertise France and its peers, alongside AFD and its subsidiary Proparco, have pooled their commitments to the SDGs in a mechanism which, in terms of social issues and the fight against inequality, has enabled 64 million people to have better access to healthcare and 4.2 million women to benefit from better social protection.

In terms of biodiversity and climate, 1.2 million hectares of sea and 35 million hectares of forest have benefited from a contribution to the restoration of ecosystems, while the production and distribution of 10.1 million tons of CO2 has been avoided by strengthening the circular economy and raising awareness of sustainable energy.

Expertise France’s key figures (for 2022)

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