The first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Account-Côte d’Ivoire (MCA-Côte d’Ivoire) was held on March 29, 2018. Chaired by the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, the Minister Patrick Achi, the meeting, which follows the signing in November 2017 in the United States, of the Grant Agreement of the Compact Côte d’Ivoire in the amount of $ 524,740,000, allowed to adopt measures on the implementation of the Compact Côte d’Ivoire Program.
MCA-Côte d’Ivoire, established by ordinance dated December 14, 2018, is an independent entity charged with ensuring, on behalf of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the monitoring, management and implementation of the Compact Program. It consists of three (03) bodies including a Board of Directors which has independent authority and the authority and responsibility to supervise, guide and take decisions within the MCA-Côte d’Ivoire for the overall implementation of the Program in accordance with agreements with the United States Government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
The Board of Directors of MCA-Côte d’Ivoire has eleven (11) voting members, including eight (08) members of the Government, as well as two (02) representatives of the private sector and one (01) representative of the selected civil society. through an open and transparent process.
Present at this first meeting of the Board of Directors: the Minister of National Education, Technical Education and Vocational Training, Mrs. Kandia Camara, the Minister of Transport, Mr. Amadou Koné, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Adama Koné, Minister of Health, Environment and Sustainable Development, Ms. Anne Ouloto, Minister of Economic Infrastructure, Mr. Amédé Kouakou, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mrs. Ramata Ly-Bakayoko, Representative of the Prime Minister, Minister of Budget and State Portfolio, Mr. Moussa Sanogo, Master Assa-Akoh Simone of the Association of Women Jurists of Côte d’Ivoire representing the civil society, and Mr. Nabil Ajami from the Côte d’Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry representing the Private Sector. Mr. Mahmoud Bah and the National Coordinator of the Compact Côte d’Ivoire Program, Mrs. Aïda N’diaye-Riddick, observer non-voting members, also participated in this meeting.
In his introductory words, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Achi Patrick stressed that “as statutory members of the Board of Directors, our responsibility is therefore great, and our mobilization and commitment must be permanent, before the entry into force of the Grant, during the execution of the program and at its closure.
For the Representative of the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Jeff Bryan “Ivory Coast is an important partner of the United States and we consider that the Compact is one of the stones cornerstones of our engagement with the country. The United States has four main objectives in Côte d’Ivoire: to support good governance, to encourage inclusive and transparent economic growth, to promote the health of the Ivorian population and to assist in the reform of the security sector. We share these goals that a democratic, prosperous, healthy and stable Côte d’Ivoire is good for all. Similarly, we want to use the compact MCC as a way to promote Côte d’Ivoire as a destination for business and investment. ”
Mr. Mahmoud Bah, the CMC Resident Country Director, welcomed the participation of all the members of the Board of Directors. He told council members, “We congratulate you for the significant progress, but we still have a lot of work to do. Your commitment will be key to a successful project.
This first session enabled the members of the Board of Directors to rule on the provisions relating to the governance of MCA-Côte d’Ivoire, such as conflict of interest and confidentiality policies, and to examine various elements relating to the operationalization of MCA-Côte d’Ivoire.
As a reminder, the MCC Compact Côte d’Ivoire Grant Agreement aims to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty through investments in secondary education, technical and vocational training and infrastructure. transport in Abidjan.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an independent US government agency dedicated to reducing global poverty through economic growth. Established in 2004, the MCC provides grants and limited duration assistance to poor countries that meet high standards of good governance.
