Opening ripe cocoa fruits at the PRO-PLANTEURS cooperative, an initiative for sustainable cocoa production in Adzopé, Côte d'Ivoire
Copyright© Ute Grabowsky/photothek.net
Côte d'Ivoire Close partner for climate action and development in West Africa
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
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.
As at: 09/02/2023