• Côte d’Ivoire will receive €24 million ($28 million) from the EU and Germany to support youth involvement in peace and security.

• The three-year program, implemented by GIZ under the EPSG project, aims to promote civic values, crisis prevention, and social cohesion.

• Funding will also back the country’s first National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security.

Côte d’Ivoire will receive €24 million ($28 million) from the European Union (EU) and Germany to strengthen youth participation in peacebuilding and security. The announcement was made by Francesca Di Mauro, EU ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, during a youth inclusion workshop held from August 27 to 29, 2025.

According to the Ivorian News Agency (AIP), the funds are part of the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Support Project (EPSG). The program, set to run for three years, will be implemented by a consortium led by GIZ, Germany’s development cooperation agency.

The initiative comes in a context where elections in the country are often marked by tensions. In July 2025, the government launched the “Young Volunteers for Peace” program, deploying 6,500 youth ambassadors across 17 regions. They are being trained in civic responsibility, crisis prevention, conflict management, and awareness campaigns against hate speech, radicalization, and violent extremism to promote social cohesion.

The EPSG project supports ECOWAS in strengthening peace, security, and democratic governance across West Africa. It focuses on early conflict detection, security sector reform, electoral processes, and inclusive peacebuilding efforts.

This funding will also support the implementation of Côte d’Ivoire’s first National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security. “This plan will provide an inclusive framework to ensure that the voice and aspirations of young people are fully reflected in peace and security policies,” said Di Mauro.