The Minister of Planning and Development granted an audience to the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr. Saïdou Kaboré, on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at his office in Plateau.

At the outset of the meeting, the UNFPA Resident Representative congratulated Dr. Souleymane Diarrassouba on his reappointment to the Government in the strategic position of Minister of Planning and Development and expressed his wishes for continued excellence in steering Côte d’Ivoire further along the path of development.

On behalf of UNFPA, Mr. Saïdou Kaboré announced the adoption of the CP9 2026–2030 programme, with a budget of US$75 million, which is fully aligned with the 2026–2030 National Development Plan (NDP). The programme is primarily aimed at supporting key priorities of the NDP, including meeting all needs related to family planning and maternal and child health, combating gender-based violence, and strengthening population statistical data.

He also welcomed the achievements of the National Development Plan, noting that it has significantly contributed to reducing poverty in Côte d’Ivoire, from 55% in 2012 to 37% in 2021. During the meeting, the UNFPA Resident Representative invited the Minister of Planning and Development to attend the 59th session of the Commission on Population and Development, scheduled to take place from April 13 to 17, 2026, in New York.

For his part, the Minister of Planning and Development praised the quality of relations between UNFPA and the Ivorian Government. He also commended UNFPA’s support for national institutions, which has helped improve key planning indicators. Building on these achievements, Minister Souleymane Diarrassouba emphasized the need to continue working toward the development of the new National Development Plan, with the objective of improving living conditions for local populations and reducing the poverty rate to 20%.

He further recalled the six strategic pillars of the new National Development Plan, reaffirming the commitment of the Ivorian authorities to making the plan a major lever for the country’s economic and social transformation. The Minister expressed his availability and welcomed UNFPA’s decision to have his ministry coordinate its operational activities, in close collaboration with sectoral ministries, to ensure efficiency and achieve set objectives.