Switzerland is to increase its contribution to the African Development Fund (ADF), an integral part of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, by CHF 21 million. The funds are intended to strengthen the ADF’s ability to address the issues of state fragility and conflicts and to promote gender equality.

The ADF presented its results at the mid-term review of its current three-year cycle (2014-2016). Despite the more delicate environment caused by the Ebola crisis and the fall in commodity prices, the ADF has successfully fulfilled its commitments (investments in infrastructure, in particular in the energy, water and transport sectors, and in ensuring efficiency in its operational processes). Based on this, Switzerland decided to go ahead with a supplementary contribution, which was negotiated at the beginning of the cycle and made conditional on the ADF’s results. Switzerland’s aim is to support the considerable progress made by the ADF in addressing the issues of state fragility and conflicts, as well as in promoting gender equality in the projects developed by the AfDB. Inequalities between the sexes, conflicts, violence and state fragility are major obstacles to sustainable development, economic growth and poverty reduction. This contribution also demonstrates the increased priority Switzerland accords Africa in its international cooperation, and reinforces the ADF in its efforts to develop inclusive and sustainable growth in the poorest countries in Africa.

Switzerland is a longstanding partner of the ADF, whose mission is to reduce poverty in the poorest regional member countries by contributing to their sustainable economic development and social progress. Its resources are therefore used to support low-income countries with very limited capacity to borrow on capital markets at preferential rates. It also provides technical assistance and non-refundable subsidies for development projects.