Adopting a national border policy provides a framework for action. Putting that framework into practice requires engagement with the institutions and communities working along the country's frontiers. In Côte d'Ivoire, this process is now taking place region by region, with ICMPD support through the Demand-Driven Facility (DDF) of the EU-funded FMM West Africa Phase II project.
In June 2024, Côte d'Ivoire adopted its National Integrated Border Management Policy (PNGIF-CI), setting out a framework for how the country will manage its borders. Turning that policy into practice along the country's frontiers is now a key focus for the government, with regional discussions helping identify how national priorities can be applied across different border areas.
Through a Demand-Driven Facility (DDF) Action under the EU-funded FMM West Africa Phase II project, with contribution from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, ICMPD is supporting Côte d'Ivoire's Executive Secretariat of the National Border Commission (SE-CNFCI) in this rollout. Two rounds of regional discussions have taken place so far: in Abengourou in the eastern border region and, most recently, in Man in the west. The two-day workshop in Man brought together around 60 participants from local authorities, sectoral ministries and community leadership.
The PNGIF-CI provides a shared framework for coordinated border management, bringing together government institutions, security services, local authorities, civil society and border communities. Its objectives include strengthening cooperation along Côte d'Ivoire's internal and external borders, promoting social cohesion between border communities, and supporting the effective and secure management of the country's borders.
Applying this framework requires taking account of the different realities of Côte d'Ivoire's border regions. A frontier with Ghana in the east raises different questions from one with Guinea in the west or Liberia in the south-west. For communities living along these borders, security, movement, trade and access to services can also vary considerably.
In Abengourou, for instance, authorities focused primarily on strengthening cooperation with their counterparts and communities across the shared border. In Man, participants highlighted the need to strengthen the presence of the Police and Gendarmerie to address land disputes and improve security along the frontier. The discussions therefore provided an opportunity to connect the national policy with priorities identified by institutions and communities at regional level.
Several challenges were identified across both discussions. Border communities are often well placed to identify changes and emerging concerns along the frontier, making their engagement relevant to both early identification of risks and cooperation with authorities. At the same time, border management involves multiple actors: authorities, security services, communities, civil society organisations and neighbouring countries each have complementary roles.
Security and infrastructure gaps were among the issues raised in both regions. In the east, participants highlighted unauthorised gold mining and cross-border organised crime, alongside stretches of border without formal posts to monitor entry and exit. In the west, participants emphasised the need to prevent abuses and strengthen safety for communities living and moving across the frontier.
Border demarcation was another shared priority. Regional authorities in both areas identified clearer borders as an important basis for effective governance and security. During the Man workshop, Abdramane Coulibaly, Technical Coordinator at the SE-CNFCI, announced that a border demarcation project is expected to be adopted, with the aim of clarifying Côte d'Ivoire's boundaries and providing local authorities and security services with a clearer basis for their work.
Cooperation with neighbouring countries was also a recurring theme, with priorities reflecting the different regional contexts: Ghana in the east, and Guinea and Liberia in the west. Challenges such as smuggling and informal crossings cannot be addressed by one country alone, while legitimate movement between border communities requires approaches that support security while facilitating cross-border movement and everyday activities. Closer cooperation between Ivorian authorities and their counterparts across the frontier therefore emerged as a priority in both regions.
The workshops also introduced participants to the Simplified Trade Regime, presented by ICMPD Project Manager Natalija Spunjini. The regime is designed to facilitate the legal cross-border movement of small-scale traders by reducing administrative requirements. The discussion highlighted that effective border management also needs to take account of legitimate movement for everyday purposes, including trade, family visits and access to markets and services.
Speaking at the Man workshop, Prefect Nakloma Souare reaffirmed the role of local authorities in implementing the PNGIF-CI and the Ivorian Government's continued support for its rollout. Participants also received copies of the PNGIF-CI, helping ensure that the policy framework is available to the institutions and stakeholders involved in its implementation.
The regional workshops form part of a broader process supported through the Demand-Driven Facility. ICMPD is working with the SE-CNFCI on three connected areas: strengthening national coordination for the PNGIF-CI rollout, deepening engagement with communities in border areas, and building cooperation with Côte d'Ivoire's neighbours, including Ghana, Liberia and Guinea.
The experience so far highlights the importance of linking national policy with local implementation. Regional discussions allow institutions and communities to identify priorities that may differ from one border area to another, while also highlighting issues that require cooperation across borders or between different national institutions.
Côte d'Ivoire's national border policy now provides a common framework for this work. The next step is to translate that framework into approaches that respond to the realities of individual border regions and involve the institutions and communities responsible for putting it into practice. The discussions in Abengourou and Man have contributed to this process, with further engagement expected as the rollout continues.
The Demand-Driven Facility is implemented by ICMPD under the FMM West Africa Phase II project, an ECOWAS initiative funded by the European Union with a contribution from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, and jointly implemented by IOM, ILO and ICMPD.
