Opening ripe cocoa fruits at the PRO-PLANTEURS cooperative, an initiative for sustainable cocoa production in Adzopé, Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire Close partner for climate action and development in West Africa

Côte d'Ivoire (often still referred to as “Ivory Coast”) is one of West Africa's economic powerhouses and one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide. It is the world's biggest cocoa producer and one of Africa's major exporters of coffee, cashew nuts, palm oil and rubber. By regional standards, its services sector is rather strong.

Employees in the control centre of a chocolate factory in Abidjan — Straight to

The 1990s and 2000s were marked by political crises. This was followed by a five-year-long civil war and then, after the 2010 presidential elections, a political crisis, all of which caused major setbacks in the country's development. Some after-effects of the crisis period can still be felt to this day. However, the country's economy has been growing for the last ten years. Côte d'Ivoire now faces the task of achieving greater political stability and ensuring that all segments of the population, especially the poor and socially disadvantaged, benefit from the continuing high rate of economic growth.

On the current United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), Côte d'Ivoire is ranked 159th out of the 191 countries assessed.

German development cooperation with Côte d'Ivoire

Mobile solar modules are used to power small electrical devices in areas where there is no access to electricity.

Between 2002 and 2011, because of the political instability that the West African country was experiencing, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) temporarily restricted bilateral cooperation activities. Since then these activities have gradually been resumed.

In 2017, Germany and Côte d'Ivoire concluded a Reform Partnership within the framework of the G20 Compact with Africa initiative, with a view to providing a more attractive investment environment and fostering the provision of training for urgently needed skilled labour. Disbursement of the funds that have been committed is dependent on the partner country carrying out specified reforms. Whether the agreed progress has been achieved is reviewed as part of a regular dialogue.

In 2022, the BMZ committed 110 million euros in new funding for Côte d'Ivoire. At the government negotiations in September 2022, the two sides agreed to increase their joint efforts for the achievement of Côte d'Ivoire's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. In addition to the development of renewable energy, this endeavour also involves the conservation and restoration of forests as another focus of cooperation.

The two countries' cooperation focuses on the following core areas:

Climate and energy, just transition
Area of intervention: renewable energy and energy efficiency
Sustainable economic development, training and employment
Areas of intervention: technical and vocational education and training; private sector and financial sector development
Conserving nature and natural resources, protecting life on Earth
Areas of intervention: biodiversity; forests

Germany also supports Côte d'Ivoire in the areas of good governance and population development / family planning. The purpose of these efforts is to fight corruption more effectively, foster government transparency and accountability, and improve maternal and child health. Germany will also increase its efforts to improve living conditions in the northern border regions of Côte d'Ivoire, where poverty and insecurity are prevalent.

The Government of Côte d'Ivoire has set itself the goal of raising the share of renewable energy in the power mix to 45 per cent by 2030, and achieving universal electricity access by 2025. In order to support the achievement of these targets, the Ivorian-German Reform Partnership focuses on fostering renewable energy and improving energy efficiency.

Quality control of cocoa beans at the cooperative PRO-PLANTEURS

The BMZ has been assisting the Ivorian government in implementing its national development plan in the fields of employment promotion and vocational training. Specifically, advice is being provided to the government with regard to the introduction of a dual (industry-based and school-based) vocational training system.

Some 60 per cent of Côte d'Ivoire's forests have been cut down over the last 35 years. One major factor in this deforestation has been the expansion of agriculture. One focus of Germany's development cooperation activities is therefore on conserving biodiversity in the national parks of Taï and Comoé.