“It is not conceivable to give free rein to the new actors that we see engaging in the field of development”, declared Thursday the head of diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian, after having participated in the very first Council presidential election devoted to development aid. The tone is thus set for a resolutely renewed will to approach France with regard to development aid.
Contain Chinese, Turkish and Russian competition
These new players, including China, according to his colleague from the Economy Bruno Le Maire, have “methods and intentions such that it is essential that we meet to offer another path to our partners” , underlined Mr. Le Drian. France is also worried about the influence strategies carried out by Russia and Turkey on the continent. Speaking by videoconference after being diagnosed positive for Covid, President Emmanuel Macron underlined France’s desire “not to fall back” and “to give African countries the means to come to the aid of their populations”.
An effort on the amounts committed
The French President added that humanitarian aid would also be tripled to reach 500 million euros in 2022. Mr. Le Drian recalled that French development aid reached nearly 11 billion at the end of 2019, which allowed France “to return to the game after a few years of eclipse”. By 2022, it will be increased to 0.55% of national wealth, against 0.44% currently, “a very achievable goal”.
A bill was presented on Wednesday to “give new impetus” to this development policy, said Mr. Le Drian, stressing that it is “the culmination of three years of work”, in consultation with all stakeholders development aid, including NGOs and parliamentarians. This text will mark a “shift in gear” in terms of the volume of aid, but “it is not only a question of doing more but also of doing better”, said the minister.
Oxfam France is pleased that the fight against inequalities has been established as “a fundamental axis” of development aid. However, the NGO believes that to “be fully effective”, it would be necessary to dedicate “0.7% of national wealth to official development assistance from 2022, against the 0.55% planned”.
Favor donations
For the 19 priority countries of sub-Saharan Africa, aid will be concentrated “in the form of grants” and France also intends to better define its thematic priorities, by investing in “the future of global public goods”, such as health, preservation of climate and biodiversity, education and gender equality. Mr. Le Drian announced a new innovation fund for development and a “renewal of the international expertise offer” with the contribution of young people from the African diaspora. Mr. Le Maire recalled that after a growth of 3% in 2019, African countries will experience a recession of 3% on average in 2020.
Take into account the country situation
“The recession worsens the public debt of these countries well beyond their repayment capacities and their economic capacities”, while “the indebtedness (of these countries) has tripled during the last decade”, a- he stressed. He said he wanted to avoid “reliving the early 2000s with over-indebtedness, growing economic difficulties and then limitations to global economic growth”. He thus justified the decisions taken by Paris such as the suspension of debt service for the poorest countries, “a moratorium extended until June 2021″, which has enabled countries like Cameroon for example to save ” half of its annual health budget ”.
An innovation: a framework dedicated to debt
The other major paradigm shift has been the establishment of a “coherent and sustainable framework for restructuring and debt relief for the poorest countries”, in which all G20 states as well as private creditors participate. And “for the first time China is participating”, which is “a positive and major step forward”, said the Minister of the Economy. An international summit with African leaders and financial institutions will be organized in France in May with the idea of ”leading to very effective, rapid solutions and put in place without delay”.
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