Consolidating the Regional Diplomacy of Côte d’Ivoire

This policy briefing analyzes the efforts of Côte d’Ivoire to regain its regional leadership position in West Africa following two decades of political instability. It examines the country's diplomatic assets, the challenges it faces in internal stability and institutional capacity, and its alignment with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Vision 2020 goals.

• President Alassane Ouattara's leadership since 2011 has focused on a two-pronged approach to restore Côte d’Ivoire's regional leadership: prioritizing regional peace and security while simultaneously pursuing economic development through active diplomacy.
• Côte d’Ivoire possesses significant historical and political assets, including the symbolic legacy of Félix Houphouët-Boigny and President Ouattara's professional background as former Governor of the Central Bank of West African States, Prime Minister, and Director of the Africa Division of the International Monetary Fund.
• Despite its economic weight, Côte d’Ivoire's political influence in West Africa over the last twenty years has been modest compared to that of Ghana, Senegal, and Burkina Faso.
• The country faces critical internal challenges that impact its regional credibility, including the need for national reconciliation, the management of migration, the organization of the 2015 elections, and the implementation of security sector reform (SSR) to align its military capabilities with its economic status.
• Côte d’Ivoire aims to become an emerging economy by 2020, a status requiring sustained economic growth (typically over 5%), a large domestic market, a diversified economy, political stability, and the emergence of a middle class.
• Côte d’Ivoire is the first-largest economic power in the West African Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the third-largest in the ECOWAS zone, with a 2013 GDP of $30.91 billion.
• The document recommends several institutional improvements to strengthen diplomacy, including the creation of a 'white paper' for foreign policy strategy, biannual conferences of ambassadors, and increased engagement with civil society, academia, and business experts.

APA

Padonou, O. (2014). Consolidating the Regional Diplomacy of Côte d’Ivoire. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Policy-Briefing-110.pdf

Chicago

Padonou, Oswald. Consolidating the Regional Diplomacy of Côte d’Ivoire. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Policy-Briefing-110.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Padonou |first1=Oswald |title=Consolidating the Regional Diplomacy of Côte d’Ivoire |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Policy-Briefing-110.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{padonou2014consolidating, author = {Padonou, Oswald}, title = {{Consolidating the Regional Diplomacy of Côte d’Ivoire}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Policy-Briefing-110.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }