Ivory Coast has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world.

Ivory Coast has lost most of its forest cover in the last 50 years. Now, local organisations in Ivory Coast are actively engaged in protecting the country’s forests and the communities who depend on them.

We began working in Ivory Coast in 2015 providing legal support and advice to local partners.

What we're doing

Increasing participation in law reform: We support civil society’s meaningful participation in law reform, and work to increase forest communities’ access to the reform process to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are addressed in legal frameworks. This includes the development and implementation of the Forest Code 2019, as well as endeavours of civil society to strengthen laws recognising community land rights.

Promoting civil society and community voices: Ivorian civil society played a critical role in the negotiation of a trade deal between the EU and Cote d’Ivoire governing timber exports. We helped to strengthen their legal capacity, enabling them to play an active part in the process. Implementation of the deal is the next vital phase. We work with partners to organise workshops and training on the agreement and related legal frameworks to ensure it is effective in practice.

Acting for inclusive, sustainable forest governance Our work in Cote d’Ivoire focuses on improving forest governance, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of women in decision-making. We deliver technical and financial support to the multi-stakeholder Gender Working Group. We also advocate for sustainable cocoa production, facilitating workshops and research on the legal framework.

Ivory Coast Law Database

ClientEarth has developed a database of main policies and laws applicable in Ivory Coast concerning forest governance, natural resources and community rights. We hope the database will support Ivorian civil society by facilitating their access to information.

We plan to update the database according to changes in the legal framework – for example, the regulatory framework around the Forest Code is currently under review. We hope the database will support Ivorian civil society by facilitating their access to information.