In recent days, Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi, accompanied by the Director of the Independent Evaluation Body of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), Counsellor Stefano Glinianski, carried out a mission to Côte d’Ivoire to take stock one year after the establishment of the AICS Office in Abidjan. The mission focused on operational progress, with particular attention to administrative and organisational aspects, in line with both Italian and Ivorian regulations.
Under the leadership of Ambassador Roberta di Lecce, the AICS delegation met with the Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Nialé Kaba, gathering strategic input in view of the 2026 programming cycle and reviewing current and potential areas for cooperation.
As part of a packed programme prepared by the Head of the Abidjan Office, Aldo Cera, the delegation conducted a field visit to a project promoted by the Pavia-based civil society organisation APPA in Ayamé, dedicated to child protection and the strengthening of the cocoa value chain. The delegation also held productive working meetings with Italian civil society organisations operating in the country, with stakeholders from the “Sistema Italia” for business internationalisation—also with a view to collaboration with the private sector—with the Delegation of the European Union, with the UNDP Resident Coordinator, and with the French Development Agency.The delegation also paid a visit to Narcisse Sepy Yessoh, Director of the École Nationale d’Administration, which is involved in an important high-level training initiative for senior public administration officials, funded by Italian Cooperation and implemented by the National School of Administration (SNA).
Finally, within the framework of monitoring activities for projects funded by MAECI through AICS, a visit was carried out to child protection and rural community development programmes in the Daloa region implemented by Save the Children. The mission confirmed the shared commitment with the Agency’s various technical and operational partners to sustainable development and to cooperation among institutions, civil society, and international partners.
