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Established
1964
Headquarters
Abidjan (Ivory Coast), temporarily in Tunis (Tunisia)
Members
77 countries of which 53 are African countries
Organization
Board of Governors is the highest decision-making body; the 20-member Board of Directors handles strategic-operational decisions
President
Donald Kaberuka (Rwanda)
Financing
Member contributions (AfDB: share capital; Funds: replenishment), earned income and reserves as well as through the international capital market
Swiss contribution (2011 - 2013)
CHF 130 million
Link
www.afdb.org
African Development Bank AfDB
The African Development Bank, AfDB, was founded in 1964 to promote the economic and social development of Africa. It is the only multilateral bank in which borrowers hold the greatest portion of shares (60%). The bank is the most important multilateral financial institution in Africa and grants between 5 and 6 billion USD in loans annually.
| The main tasks of the African Development Bank |
The AfDB is part of the African Development Bank Group which is also made up of the African Development Fund (AfDF) and the Nigerian Trust Fund (NTF). The main tasks of the Group are:
- granting credits to promote economic and social development in the poorest countries (AfDF);
- technical assistance in preparing and implementing development projects and programmes (AfDF);
- promotion of public (AfDF) and private (AfDB) investments for development projects; and
- financing infrastructure projects in countries with average incomes (AfDB).
The Group is the most important public financial institution in Africa and grants around USD 5-6 billion in loans annually. The AfDB grants credits at close to market conditions to countries with average incomes. As a rule, the money goes to the private sector or to the development of large public infrastructure projects such as energy and transport structures.
Both funds grant credits at highly favourable rates with very long expiry dates to those countries which do not have access to regular bank loans. The funds focus primarily on fighting poverty and on creating economic framework conditions for sustainable development. Following a replenishment crisis in the bank, the African Development Fund underwent a capital increase for the first time in 1972 to finance growing public development tasks such as schools, hospitals, water and electricity supply with highly favourable credits. This fund is replenished every three years.
In the 1990s, after the institution weathered a serious crisis in governance, it had to introduce profound reforms. Under the 2008-2012 strategy, the group focuses on a limited number of priority areas: Infrastructure (energy, transport water supply), good governance, promoting the private sector, higher and vocational education, and regional integration, fragile states and agriculture. The group also wants to promote cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, environmental protection, climate change and knowledge management..
| The African Development Bank and Switzerland |
Switzerland has been a member and shareholder in the AfDB since 1982, when the bank opened its doors to OECD donors, and has supported the African Development Fund since its foundation in 1972.
Switzerland is represented on the Board of Governors, the highest decision-making body, by a representative of SECO and the SDC. However, operational decisions remain with the 20 executive directors, of which 13 come from regional and seven from non-regional member states. The Board of Directors decides on central issues such as sector strategies (water, energy, environment, gender equality, education, private sector promotion), the granting of credits and guarantees, as well as programmes and projects. Switzerland is part of a voting group together with Germany and Portugal. Switzerland is a permanently represented on the executive board by a senior advisor and by an executive director appointed for a three-year term every eight years. Germany is currently executive director.
In the AfDB, Switzerland has a capital and voting share of nearly 1.5 %. At the last replenishment of the African Development Fund, Switzerland pledged a 2.47 % share.
Through its presence on the different bodies, Switzerland sees to it that the bank implements its strategy to fight poverty with concrete measures and measurable results, and that the institution puts more emphasis on the control and quality assurance of its programmes. Further information on cooperation with the AfDB can be found in “Switzerland and the African Development Bank".
Additional Information and Documents
- La Suisse et la Banque Africaine de Développement (BAD)
Lignes d'action 2005
Download (PDF, 850 KB) : [de] [fr] - L'Accent multilatéral / Juin 2011: Au secours de la gouvernance financière
La banque africaine cherche le dialogue politique avec les pays fragiles - Justice, sécurité et emploi, le nouveau credo de la Banque mondiale - Le PNUD au coeur des Etats fragiles
Download (PDF, 1880 KB) : [de] [fr] -
ADB, The African Development Bank Group
The ADB is a multinational development bank supported by 77 nationshttp://www.afdb.org -
AfDB first Annual Development Effectiveness Review 2011
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/afdb-launches-first-annual-development-effectiveness- review-2011-8169/ - Reviewing the effectiveness of multilateral organisations
- Représentation de la Suisse au Conseil des gouverneurs de banques multilatérales de développement
- La Suisse contribue au désendettement multilatéral des pays les plus pauvres