4th Conference on Financing for Development in Seville: H.E. Léon Kacou Adom Highlights Côte d’Ivoire’s Strengths to Donors

In Seville, Spain, from June 30 to Thursday, July 4, 2025, several Heads of State and high-level figures from the financial world gathered for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development.

The Vice President of Côte d’Ivoire, Tiemoko Meyliet Koné, took part in the ceremonial opening of the conference. Upon returning to Abidjan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and Ivorians Abroad, H.E. Léon Kacou Adom, continued the work, finalizing Côte d’Ivoire’s development financing projects.

As the new head of the Ivorian delegation, the Foreign Minister held numerous one-on-one meetings with leaders of international financial institutions and companies, engaging in negotiations to advance sustainable development financing solutions.

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, representing his counterpart, the Minister of Budget, Minister Adom took part in Multistakeholder Roundtable 2, which focused on the theme: "Leveraging business and private finance." There, he shared Côte d’Ivoire’s commitments to supporting the private sector:

“In this regard, Côte d’Ivoire reaffirms that the private sector is a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and innovation, and that its engagement is crucial to achieving development goals.

Under the leadership of H.E. Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic, Côte d’Ivoire has placed the private sector at the heart of its development strategy, as evidenced by the increasing share of private investment in the country’s three successive National Development Plans.

This share has risen from 60% to 74%,” Minister Adom revealed.

He also outlined the various actions undertaken by the Ivorian state to create a suitable legal environment for private investment: “To engage the private sector, large-scale structural reforms have been carried out to improve the business environment, strengthen economic governance, and attract private investment. These include enhancing the legal protection of investments and facilitating and accelerating administrative procedures through the creation of several one-stop shops, such as for business registration and construction permits.

Moreover, the general investment code has been revised, along with sector-specific codes (mining, oil, water),” he explained.

He then presented Côte d’Ivoire’s expectations for effectively leveraging private financing: “Côte d’Ivoire believes that aligning economic interests with sustainable development is essential for making the most of private financing.

To this end, the country has (1) developed a national sustainable finance strategy and (2) integrated ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria into the project selection process. Furthermore, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is promoted in partnership with professional organizations, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises and startups,” he stated.

Following this roundtable, the Minister of Foreign Affairs held several meetings with key political and financial figures.

On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Léon Kacou Adom met with Ms. Suzanne Wasum-Rainer, Special Envoy of the German Federal Foreign Office, and Enrique Javier Ochoa Martinez, Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.