“Redoubling of boldness to support our partners’ trajectories”

The role of international cooperation has been at the heart of public debate in early 2025. What role can AFD Group play in a world marked by geopolitical instability?

R. R. We are living in an uncertain world, marked by multiplying conflicts, climate disasters ravaging entire territories, and intensifying diplomatic, commercial and financial tensions. The dismantling of USAID—the United States’ bilateral development agency—by the White House and the budgetary adjustments in Europe have placed international cooperation under strain, sparking an unprecedented public debate. We must take part in this debate, both to account for the effectiveness of our action and to reiterate how essential it is, in this increasingly complex world, to continue linking our interests with those of our partners to build shared benefits. That is the mission of AFD Group.

During the Presidential Council for International Partnerships—which Jérémie Pellet, Françoise Lombard and I had the honor of attending—the President of the Republic and the Government reaffirmed France’s progressive and humanist vision, fully aligned with our values and interests: the fight against inequality and poverty, and support for the climate and biodiversity. The Council also called for a shift from a logic of aid to one of sustainable, solidarity-based investment. This is the path our Group is following through its new strategic orientation plan, shared for the first time across Expertise France, Proparco and AFD. We are implementing this vision by devoting a growing share of France’s solidarity-based action to the most vulnerable countries, while also investing in global public goods. The Council further emphasized the need to demonstrate impact and to enhance each actor’s capacity to explain this public policy clearly and everywhere—including in French territories. I know I can count on all our colleagues throughout AFD Group to show ever greater boldness and innovation in supporting the sovereignty and sustainable development of our partners—and in engaging our fellow citizens in this collective endeavor.

Expertise France just celebrated its tenth anniversary. How are you preparing for the decade to come?

J. P. The agency has undergone a profound transformation during its first ten years, moving from a set of dispersed ministerial operators to an agency of international scale. This change in scale is also reflected at the European level: Expertise France is now the second-largest technical cooperation agency in Europe. At the same time, the global landscape of international cooperation and official development assistance is undergoing a major shift. Expertise France and the AFD Group are at the heart of this paradigm change—due to our interministerial role, the diversity of our sectors and regions of operation, and, above all, the technical and human dialogue we engage in daily with our partners. On the ground, our teams play a structuring role with beneficiary institutions and in delivering France’s international solidarity, which we are honored to carry out every day.

For the decade ahead, Expertise France has set itself three main objectives: to ensure it has the best tools to meet its partners’ needs, to improve the effectiveness and visibility of Team Europe in order to enhance its impact, and to ensure that the implementation of our projects brings the highest possible level of satisfaction to the governments and populations we serve. Lastly, the agency’s field presence and the deployment of country offices will continue in 2025 to stay as close as possible to our partners and interlocutors, for greater impact and efficiency.

What are AFD Group’s priorities for 2025?

R. R. First, to remain as active and impactful as possible in our partner countries and for the populations hardest hit by today’s upheavals. Building on this work, the Group must also step up to meet major international milestones. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, which guide our efforts more than ever. The blue economy will be at the heart of the debates during the Oceans Conference in Nice, global financing for the SDGs will be addressed in Seville, and aligning finance with climate goals will be on the agenda in Belém at COP30… These are all critical challenges that are engaging the Group this year. We’re also continuing our work with public development banks worldwide through Finance in Common (FiCS), to help build an international financial architecture that is both coordinated and rooted in solidarity—an architecture in which technical cooperation agencies like Expertise France play an essential role. In this international context, 2025 is the year for AFD Group to deliver on our promise—to “act as a group”—by pushing further on the synergies between our three entities, to offer seamless solutions to our partners. These synergies are operational, to boost efficiency in our activities, but also geographical, with a shared network. I’m pleased to note that Expertise France has opened five new offices within the Group’s regional directorates. Our offerings are also being built in concert with Team Europe, within the networks of European development banks and agencies.

Expertise France is a French agency—but also the second-largest European cooperation agency. How does this dual
positioning play out?

J. P. Expertise France is a French agency serving our solidarity-based and sustainable investment policy, but it also operates under European funding. This dual affiliation is a valuable asset for both the agency and France. On the ground, every day, hundreds of project teams serve our partners and beneficiaries, identifying needs and meeting objectives to strengthen public policies. This implementation of both French and European support in our partner countries fits within AFD Group’s overarching approach and aligns with locally defined development strategies under the supervision of our ambassadors.

Thanks to our European footprint, we help advance the European Union’s priorities and the Global Gateway strategy for sustainable infrastructure. This involves improving the business climate, mobilizing the private sector, and strengthening human capital, notably through vocational training. Expertise France plays a role in this structural transformation, which extends beyond Europe. The European network of technical cooperation agencies, the Practitioners’ Network—which we have chaired for the past two years—has been instrumental in driving this momentum. Our two-year presidency has enabled the creation of a true international network that fosters stronger synergies among European players.

Remarks collected in May 2025.