MOROCCO – CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Towards the realisation of a new model of South-South cooperation

Reem Fakhri

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MOROCCO – CÔTE D’IVOIRE:

Towards the realisation of a new model of South-South cooperation

Imminent start of work to protect and develop Cocody Bay in Abidjan

· Release of the priority fund of 10 billion CFA francs to fund the first phase of the works.

· Initiation by Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire of a pilot model of South-South cooperation.

· Cocody Bay, an important project jointly managed by Marchica Med, a Moroccan State-owned company and the Ivorian Government.

10 billion CFA francs to be released soon – Imminent launch of work to protect and develop Cocody Bay.

Doha, Qatar - The countdown has started, 10 billion CFA francs will be soon released to launch the first phase of the project. This priority funding has been provided ahead of the release of the 100 billion CFA francs needed to complete the whole project.

This first part, made available to the Ivorian Government by the Moroccan bank Attijariwafa Bank, will be used to finalise the technical studies and to launch the priority work for protection against flood and bay depollution.

In connection with the future phases of the project, Cocody Bay, a highly symbolic location in Abidjan, will benefit from the construction of dams, bridges and road infrastructure, the development of a marina, port works and an urban park. The project, jointly managed by Marchica Med, a Moroccan State-owned company and the Ivorian Government, will be delivered in 2019.

The visit of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI to Abidjan in June 2015 - a historic step for Cocody Bay project.

During the visit of King Mohammed VI in Côte d’Ivoire, a presentation ceremony of the project to His Majesty and His Excellency the President Alassane Ouattara was held in Abidjan on June 3rd.

Over the course of this event, the operational structuring of the project was finalised and four agreements were signed to this effect. These agreements serve to highlight the innovative character of the project through the implementation of a pilot co-development model.

· Contracting authority was assigned to the Ministry for Economic Infrastructures and the Ministry for Construction, Housing, Sanitation, and Town Planning.

· Marchica Med, a Moroccan State-owned company, will provide assistance to the two Ivorian Ministries to complete the project and will ensure its proper implementation.

· The financial structuring of the project, estimated at 100 billion CFA francs, will be ensured by the Moroccan bank Attijariwafa Bank and its Ivorian subsidiary.

· Technical aspects of project engineering will be provided, within the partnership, by the Moroccan and Ivorian engineering offices CID and BNETD.

· Project development will be assigned, in the context of a competitive dialogue, to the most performing Moroccan and Ivorian contracting companies.

A project which is a symbol of a dynamic and radiant Africa, ready to embrace its future.

As a result of the initiatives of His Majesty the King and those of His Excellency the President Alassane Ouattara, the project to protect and develop Cocody Bay constitutes a historic opportunity, which will allow human resources from both Ivory Coast and Morocco, in all sectors, to work together to shape their common future.

The participatory approach adopted in designing the project, the values of sustainable development that it embodies, and the innovative operational arrangements agreed to ensure its completion will result in an exemplary partnership between the two Nations.

This co-development model will be further enhanced with its deployment across the continent and opening-up to the world through triangular partnerships.

"(…) Africa must trust Africa. Our continent does not need assistance as much as mutually profitable partnerships. Rather than humanitarian aid, it is human and social development projects, that our Continent needs…"

Extract from the speech of H.M. King Mohammed VI,

24 February 2014 in Abidjan.

An environmentally-responsible project with compelling opportunities.

After having experienced increased pollution and repeated flooding, Cocody Bay is now suffering from serious environmental degradation. The primary aim of the project is to provide a sustainable solution to the problem of the bay pollution and its watershed. The site will be depolluted, reforested and redeveloped into a green corridor of more than 3,000 hectares.

The project also includes solutions to depollute the Ébrié lagoon. A renewal system incorporating new estuaries at Petit Bassam and Grand Bassam will be implemented to significantly improve the quality of the waters of the lagoon. Abidjanians will benefit from a healthier environment; and it will also be possible to develop a number of social and economic aspects including fishing activities in the lagoon.

This significant project also provides for the development of an ambitious programme of sports, cultural activities, entertainment and commercial facilities for the inhabitants of Abidjan. They will supplement the range of attractive locations available in the city and will ensure that it maintains sustainably its position as a leading regional tourist destination.

About Marchica Med

Marchica Med, a Moroccan State-owned company, is a subsidiary of the Agence pour l’Aménagement du Site de la Lagune de Marchica. Established in 2008, Marchica Med’s mission was to depollute the Marchica lagoon in Nador (Northern Morocco) and transforming the town along with its metropolitan area into a centre of competence, competitiveness and sustainable development.

Marchica Med initiated the project to protect and develop Cocody Bay and is in charge of Assistance to the Contracting Authority for the management and project development.

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