At the UNICEF high-level meetings held in New York on 21 and 22 September 2026, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development, Dr Souleymane Diarrassouba, presented the country’s experience in linking debt management to education financing. He addressed two separate sessions: one on financing artificial intelligence in education, the other on the impact of debt on future generations.
Debt swap unlocks funds for schools
In 2024, with support from the World Bank Group, Côte d’Ivoire completed a debt-for-development swap. Nearly €400 million of commercial debt was refinanced. The operation is expected to free up around €330 million in fiscal resources over five years, with a significant share directed to education through national budget mechanisms.
“A human-faced debt is not a cancelled debt,” Dr Diarrassouba said. “It is a debt whose allocation, structure and cost serve health, education and child protection.”
Sustainability-linked loan sets precedent
In 2025, the country adopted a dedicated framework and secured a €433.3 million loan whose financial terms adjust according to results in renewable energy and forest restoration. The operation benefits from a joint guarantee from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). It is the first sovereign sustainability-linked loan in West Africa.
In New York, the possibility of extending this method to human capital through a sustainability-linked bond was explored. The loan’s financial conditions would then be tied to learning outcomes measured at the national level.
AI and learning metrics under discussion
On 21 September, the Minister spoke during the Learn AI Global Compact, a UNICEF initiative under the theme “Responsible AI for every learner.” He shared Côte d’Ivoire’s experience in sustainability-linked financing.
Such a mechanism requires reliable and verifiable learning indicators, as well as prudent management of financial risks. The loan duration must remain consistent with that of the investments financed. Child data protection and the responsibility of states and teachers in pedagogical choices are also among the principles highlighted by Côte d’Ivoire.
The National Development Plan (PND) 2026-2030 foresees increased use of digital technology and artificial intelligence, particularly in the education and training sector. Côte d’Ivoire has said it is ready to continue work with UNICEF and partners of the Learn AI Global Compact on verifiable learning indicators and an adapted guarantee mechanism.
Debt burden outpaces social spending
On 22 September, the Minister took part in a second UNICEF high-level meeting on debt, development and future generations. According to UNICEF, nearly 400 million children live in countries where debt burdens are growing faster than investments in health, education and nutrition.
Dr Diarrassouba reiterated Côte d’Ivoire’s position: the impact of debt on populations depends on its allocation, structure and cost.
National plan prioritises human capital
The PND 2026-2030 provides the reference framework for this policy. It gives prominence to human capital, skills and employment, and sets targets for maternal and child health, universal health coverage, social protection and improving the human capital index.
Côte d’Ivoire is simultaneously pursuing debt management based on risk control, fiscal sustainability and seeking better financing conditions.
Through these two interventions, Côte d’Ivoire outlined the choices guiding its development financing policy: preserving debt sustainability, directing resources to national priorities and exploring new instruments when they can contribute to the goals of the PND 2026-2030. Education, health, social protection and, more broadly, human capital development remain at the heart of these priorities.
