African Development Bank (AfDB)

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is the leading multilateral development finance institution focused on Africa and an important partner for Switzerland to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The AfDB is majority-owned by African countries. It aims at promoting sustainable economic growth and reducing poverty. The AfDB mobilizes and allocates resources for development projects in African member countries and provides policy advice and technical assistance. Thanks to its AAA credit rating, the Bank is able to borrow at attractive interest rates on global capital markets and can lend to its borrowers at favourable conditions.

The AfDB Group includes the following two main entities:

• AfDB (founded in 1964) provides advice and long-term financing to eligible middle-income countries and to the private sector in the form of loans, lines of credit, equity investments and guarantees.
• African Development Fund (founded in 1972) provides advice and long-term financing to 38 low-income countries in the form of concessional loans, grants and technical assistance. Special support is provided to fragile and conflict affected states and to boost private sector development.

The AfDB is a priority multilateral institution for Switzerland’s international cooperation and a key partner under Switzerland’s International Cooperation Strategy 2021-2024 to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in Africa. As a member of a voting group Switzerland actively participates in the discussions and decisions of the governing bodies of the AfDB to fulfil its supervisory role as a shareholder. Switzerland is committed to:

• supporting the AfDB’s institutional reforms towards a sharpened strategic focus and strengthened operational capacity through policy dialogue with management and shareholders;
• promoting the Bank’s results-orientation, effectiveness, efficiency and targeted financing of development projects according to the AfDB’s core expertise and strategic priorities;
• supporting AfDB’s commitment to develop, improve and comply with international environmental, social and governance standards;
• ensuring an adequate capitalisation and safeguarding the AfDB’s AAA credit rating. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation jointly determine the positions Switzerland adopts at the AfDB. Switzerland’s interests are represented by a Governor appointed by the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research and an Alternate-Governor appointed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

For more information on the AfDB, please consult the documents: