The discussions took place on November 2, 2026, in Abidjan, during a meeting between Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development, Souleymane Diarrassouba, and UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita, who also serves as a United Nations Deputy Secretary-General.
The meeting focused on the results of the longstanding partnership between Côte d’Ivoire and UNFPA, as well as the priorities of the agency’s ninth cooperation programme with the country, covering the 2026–2030 period.
UNFPA highlighted progress in maternal health, with Côte d’Ivoire’s maternal mortality ratio declining from 614 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2012 to 385 in 2021. The agency also supported the supply of family planning products, the treatment of more than 1,600 women suffering from obstetric fistula between 2021 and 2025, and efforts to strengthen responses to gender-based violence.
Its support has also extended to updating the country’s National Population Policy and conducting the 2021 General Population and Housing Census.
Côte d’Ivoire is now updating its National Population Policy for 2026–2035 while implementing its ninth cooperation programme with UNFPA. The government’s 2026–2030 National Development Plan allocates more than CFAF 12,580 billion to its fourth strategic pillar, which focuses on human capital development.
With more than 75% of its population under the age of 35, Côte d’Ivoire is seeking to turn its demographic profile into an economic advantage through investment in education, healthcare, vocational training, youth employment, nutrition and women’s empowerment.
Diarrassouba said the challenge was no longer simply to understand demographic changes, but to ensure that governments could anticipate them and turn them into drivers of prosperity, resilience and inclusion.
Keita praised Côte d’Ivoire’s role in the West African region, its public infrastructure and its reception of refugees from neighbouring countries. She reaffirmed UNFPA’s willingness to support the country’s development priorities.
The meeting took place ahead of the Dialogue on Africa’s Demographic Future, scheduled to be held in Côte d’Ivoire from November 3 to 5, 2026. The gathering is expected to provide a platform for discussions on how African countries can better anticipate population changes and translate demographic trends into sustainable development opportunities.