The World Bank Group Prepares the Ground for the Launch of a New Country Partnership Framework with Côte d’Ivoire

ABIDJAN, September 12, 2014—The World Bank Group (WBG) has started the process of developing a new Country Partnership Framework with Côte d’Ivoire through a series of consultations with members of the government, civil society, and the private sector from all over the country. These dialogues, which also include the participation of technical and financial partners, seek to identify the key challenges and opportunities to accelerating efforts towards achieving the twin goals of ending extreme poverty and promoting a shared prosperity.

To kickoff of the national public consultations, Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan chaired a meeting with the Ivorian government in Abidjan on September 10, 2014. Discussions focused on the outline of the new Country Partnership Framework which will build on a Systematic Country Diagnosis, an important preliminary exercise which consists of an in-depth analysis of the country’s key challenges and opportunities to promoting inclusive and sustainable development and reducing poverty. 

The meeting with the government was also an opportunity to debate the main ideas that emerged from a preliminary analysis conducted by the World Bank team. This analysis will provide the guiding themes to be addressed in subsequent consultations taking place throughout the month of September.

Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Country Director in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo and Guinea, highlighted the country’s favorable economic situation that boasts a growth rate of around 9% since 2012 and a projected rate of 10% for 2014. Côte d’Ivoire, with its attractive business environment, is ranked among the top 10 performers according to the "Doing Business 2014" report and has also made significant progress in the area of security having established political stability since mid-2013. “If Côte d’Ivoire has been able to achieve this level of performance in such a short amount of time, then surely the challenge of development can also be won," he said.

Furthermore, the Ivorian prime minister welcomed the new engagement strategy of the World Bank Group which is based on a better synergy between key agencies within the institution, and a closer cooperation with other development partners in order to end extreme poverty by 2030.

"Through these consultations, we have an opportunity to fine-tune a path to a robust, inclusive and sustainable growth in Côte d’Ivoire," said Daniel Kablan Duncan. The prime minister encouraged all the stakeholders participating in the development of the Systematic Country Diagnosis "to ensure that all high-level analysis remains highly representative and geared towards the general well-being of the Ivorian population."

As part of its 2010-2014 strategy that is soon to expire, the World Bank Group devoted a total of 1.536 billion dollars to support efforts in Côte d'Ivoire. The financial support took the form of technical assistance and training, analytical studies, budget support, public and private investment projects, and public-private partnerships.

"Our partnership up until now has been very fruitful, and we hope that it will continue to be successful," said Ousmane Diagana. "In order to ensure this success, it is important for us to hear the voices of key development stakeholders all around the country on what they view as the major challenges to Côte d'Ivoire’s development," he concluded.  Mr. Diagana reiterated the importance the World Bank Group places on the independent nature of the advice that will be collected to build a strong and effective strategy that can achieve the twin goals of ending extreme poverty and promote a shared prosperity. 

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