At the 8th Congress and World Summit of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the President of the Senate of Côte d'Ivoire, Kandia Camara, strongly advocated for an overhaul of territorial governance. Speaking on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, during a high-level panel on inequalities in the face of global changes, she proposed an interconnected governance model to address social and geographical divides.

The challenges of a changing world

The session aimed to decipher the root causes of territorial disparities, assess the impact of climate change, and position intermediate cities as levers for balance. The ultimate goal: to develop innovative and inclusive solutions for the post-2030 horizon.

Faced with rampant urbanization, the housing crisis, and difficulties accessing public services, Ms. Camara—speaking also in her capacity as mayor of Abobo—asserted that a fragmented response was obsolete. She advocates a three-pronged managerial approach:

1. Integrated: To simultaneously address infrastructure, sanitation, security, employment and mobility.
2. Participatory: By directly involving citizens in the choice of local priorities.
3. Partnership: By creating strong synergies between the State, local authorities, the private sector, civil society and donors.

“Reducing territorial inequalities requires local governance that is attentive to citizens’ expectations and rooted in local realities.” – Kandia Camara

The example of Abobo as a local laboratory

To illustrate her point, the President of the Senate drew on her management of the Abobo district. There, she is implementing a policy focused on modernizing living conditions, strengthening basic infrastructure, and fostering ongoing social dialogue. This strategy is bearing fruit by tangibly improving the daily lives of residents, with the ambition of making Abobo a modern and inclusive hub.

This international statement is in line with the commitments of the Ivorian Senate for local development, just a few months after the International Symposium on Local Authorities organized in Yamoussoukro in March 2026.