France is redefining its development aid and focusing it on 16 priority African countries.

France’s new development priorities were defined by the Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development, chaired by Jean-Marc Ayrault (pictured), on July 31. The aim is to make international development and solidarity policy more effective, coherent, understandable, and transparent.

By convening the Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development (CICID) – for the first time since June 2009 – the Government aims to set a new course for French development policy.

To coordinate stakeholders in the sector more effectively, the National Council for Development and International Solidarity (CNDSI) was created. Its objective: to facilitate regular dialogue between the government, elected officials, and civil society. The French are particularly involved, either through their membership in the approximately 3,300 NGOs operating in France or through their donations (between 1.5 and 2 million donors).

Redefining priorities and linking public policies and development

• Geographical priorities are being redefined and aid concentrated towards priority poor countries: 85% of the financial effort will be directed towards 16 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Djibouti, Comoros, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Togo and Senegal) and neighboring countries in the south and east of the Mediterranean.
• Public policies are being aligned with development: in the area of ​​sustainable development, 50% of projects financed by the French Development Agency (AFD) must include climate considerations in their programs. The fight against food insecurity and the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity in developing countries must promote forms of production such as family farming.

Regarding gender equality, 50% of AFD’s projects and programs must also contribute to this balance. To promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) among companies working in development, the Government is launching consultations with the objective of increasing the accountability of French multinationals towards their suppliers in the countries concerned.

A bill to affirm the new French vision of development

To consolidate the new directions of French development policy, a draft framework and programming law will be presented to the Council of Ministers next November, for debate in Parliament in early 2014.

Targeted funding for development

Part of the financial transaction tax is allocated to development.

Source: Ecofin Agency