Our international cooperation in Asia-Pacific

Etudiants en formation professionnelle derrière leur ordinateur au Vietnam — © Laurent WEYL

Asia and the Pacific form a strategic region and are now a global economic and political hub. They offer significant development opportunities but also face multiple risks, especially from climate change.

Asia-Pacific is a region of contrasts. It boasts some of the richest natural reserves in the world, but emits nearly half of all global greenhouse gas emissions. It is also home to the world’s busiest shipping routes, where territorial conflicts threaten freedom of navigation.

France is the only European nation with Pacific territories, including New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna. As France’s development cooperation agency, we support partners across the region in fostering environmentally responsible and innovation-driven development for lasting prosperity and strong regional cooperation. To that end, we have an in-country office in Papua New Guinea and operate two regional offices. One covers South and Southeast Asia, and the other the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia. Together, these regional offices coordinate all our Asia-Pacific initiatives.

Our work in the Asia-Pacific region

Asia-Pacific is a region of strong economic and demographic growth. It accounts for 40% of global GDP and over half the world’s population, while 80% of global trade passes through it. The region’s two interconnected oceans lie at the heart of today's most pressing global issues.

Our work aims to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by building bridges across this vast region that shares common challenges. We implement projects and deploy around 70 international technical experts in several key sectors, aligned with the following strategic priorities:

Climate change mitigation, ocean sustainability, and biodiversity protection: Resilience to climate change is central in a region where biodiversity is increasingly threatened by deforestation, rising ocean temperatures, and pollution in the order of 5 to 13 million tonnes of marine waste annually. Our projects promote a transition to a low-carbon economy and biodiversity conservation. They also support new project models that combine forestry, climate action, and biodiversity. In 2024 alone, 6.9 million hectares were placed under improved marine biodiversity management.
Youth empowerment: With 75% of the ASEAN population under 35, Southeast Asia is a dynamic zone propelled by a proactive youth population driving economic modernisation.
Health and security: We help to improve health and security through various projects across the region. We have supported 336 facilities in delivering healthcare services. We have also worked to bolster maritime and port security, reaching a total of 1,920 end beneficiaries through our maritime safety initiatives.
Sustainable finance and digital transition: We support the region’s digital transformation by backing youth-led innovation, which helps position Asia-Pacific as a leader in digital technologies.
Economic development and public policy: Amid the geopolitical tensions in the region, our initiatives help economies transition toward more sustainable practices. Projects include support for governance, the development of local sectors, and regional and international dialogue. We have provided training in domestic resource mobilisation to 793 staff from organisations.

Visite de productions agricoles en Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée — Aurore-Alexandra CASTELLACCI - Expertise France

Discover all our APAC projects

Our work in 3 APAC regions

Expertise France's actions in the Asia-Pacific is structured around three subregions: Central Asia, South and Southeast Asia, Pacific.

In Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we support regional transformation through major initiatives in innovation, digital connectivity, governance, and social protection. Our local teams in Tashkent and Astana, supported by international technical experts, implement flagship projects like GETAP (green growth in Uzbekistan), the Team Europe Initiative on Digital Connectivity that is expanding internet access to remote areas, and SOCIEUX IV that is helping to strengthen employment and social protection policy.

These projects are mainly funded by the EU and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and contribute to the region’s sustainability and inclusion goals. They illustrate our growing presence in Central Asia, thanks to solid bilateral partnerships and strong European cooperation.

As a priority region for France’s 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, South and Southeast Asia are central to fostering an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. These initiatives aim to counter security issues, reinforce sustainable development and preserve global public goods.

Our agency supports and collaborates with regional and national stakeholders – including ASEAN and IORA – across four priority areas:

Security and global threats
Sustainable development and the circular economy
Innovation
Health and inclusion

We are expanding our presence in the region, diversifying our portfolio in multiple sectors and improving our operational agility in response to local, French and EU demand for technical assistance. The region’s total portfolio of projects is valued at €126 million.

We help address transnational challenges in the Pacific, particularly climate change and biodiversity loss. In Papua New Guinea, we focus on forest preservation and the creation of marine and terrestrial protected areas.

Our in-country office opened in 2024, and our national projects now total €34 million. Expertise France acts as a coordinator for this vast region, fostering ties and collaboration with Pacific Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) as well as with other Indo-Pacific states. Through projects like CRIMARIO, island nations are engaging in multi-country initiatives in maritime and port safety.

Our framework for action

Our operations align with France’s Indo-Pacific strategy, prioritising regional integration and support for regional organisations. We also contribute to the AFD Group’s regional strategy focused on climate resilience and disaster risk reduction.

Our work also furthers the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative, which aims to deliver high-quality infrastructure, enhanced connectivity, and a fair energy transition.