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You represent a French local authority

Collectivités territoriales réunion Rémy Rioux Jean-François Caron
Rencontre entre Rémy Rioux, Directeur général de l'AFD et Jean-François Caron, maire de Loos-en-Gohelle © Jérémy Bidon pour l'AFD

AFD devotes an increasing amount of its activity to directly financing foreign local authorities. To implement this strategy, it relies on the strongly political expertise of French local authorities.

Working together

Converge our actions with territories

AFD promotes financial and technical cooperation between French local authorities and foreign local authorities, as a complement to an AFD-funded project.

For example, we have supported the joint initiative between the Hauts-de-France Region and French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) in the context of their cooperation with Minas Gerais State (Brazil) for the development of a “Climate Energy Territory” plan. The aim is to promote adaptation actions and initiate a transition towards a low-carbon economy. This technical cooperation action involves several regional actors and is combined with a EUR 300m AFD loan to finance the multi-year “Management for Citizenship” plan.

 

Promoting the expertise of territories

AFD finances and provides technical expertise to developing countries, while promoting French know-how.

For example, in Johannesburg (South Africa), we are supporting the new spatial strategy led by local authorities. This project aims to reduce persistent inequalities.

A EUR 600,000 grant has been allocated via the Fund for Technical Expertise and Experience Transfers (FEXTE). It is supporting: 

  • The partnership between the South African local government and the City of Paris for the definition of a climate change strategy;
  • The partnership between the South African local government and the European Metropolis of Lille for the implementation of integrated urban projects.

In addition, a EUR 120m AFD loan is supporting the City of Johannesburg’s transformation strategy.

AFD is also supporting research on the territorializaton of the Sustainable Development Goals, as illustrated in the recent publication of the Methodological Guide of the Assembly of French Departments (ADF) for international cooperation in the field of sustainable and inclusive local development. 

 

Financing the initiatives of territories

AFD supports the projects identified and implemented by local authorities in the context of their international partnerships via the French Local Authorities Financing Facility (FICOL).

What type of projects are financed?

For example, the construction of 2 mini-hydropower plants in the city of Dschang, in Cameroon, is a project initiated by the city of Dschang in partnership with Nantes Metropolis and Electricians Without Borders. AFD’s grant is providing EUR 405,000 of support for the investment expenditure. The project aims to connect 500 households to clean electricity and several local public service structures (schools, bus stations, etc.). The French local authority and its partner association are supporting the municipal contracting authority in strengthening its energy strategy and management capacity.

 

The Partner Local Authorities’ Club

The Partner Local Authorities’ Club



The Partner Local Authorities’ Club is a forum for dialogue and consultation gathering directors and experts from the services responsible for international action in AFD’s partner French local authorities.

This Club aims to strengthen ties between AFD and French territories. 

In order to develop synergies, members communicate on their activities, whether for development projects conducted at international level or for experiences of local development conducted in French local authorities. AFD is indeed as attentive to the activities of local authorities in the international field as on the national territory.

The Club allows AFD to inform its partners about its activities by country, by sector and about its main strategic orientations. 

We communicate on our working methods and the tools we have to support – and finance – the external action of French local authorities. The exchanges in the Club allow AFD to adapt its working methods. The Club is a forum for exchanges on the means developed by each member to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Club can be a forward-looking forum on the international practices of tomorrow.

 

Your contacts by region

Your contacts by region

  • Brittany, Île-de-France, La Réunion, Mayotte and Pays de la Loire: Diane Le Roux
  • Grand Est, Guadeloupe, Hauts-de-France, Martinique, Normandy: Jean-Michel Zabiegala 
  • Centre Val-de-Loire, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and French Guiana: Emilien Amblat
  • Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Auvergne-Rhône Alpes, Corsica, New Caledonia, Occitania and French Polynesia: Catherine Simo