2023-07-03 08:30:18
ICEX Spain Exports and Investments and the African Development Bank have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen the commitment of the Spanish private sector to urban development in Africa. The agreement will mainly promote cooperation between the Spanish business entity and the Urban and Municipal Development Fund (UMDF), a multi-donor trust fund hosted by the African Development Bank, a broadcast press release said. in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on June 29, 2023.
According to the same source, the Spanish public agency will mobilize Spanish expertise for African cities, including cross-participation in events and sharing of data and knowledge.
Recall that the agreement was concluded on the sidelines of the “Jornadas Multilaterales”, an event that promotes dialogue between Spanish entrepreneurs and Ivorian economic actors, organized this month by ICEX in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. During this event, issues related to sustainable urban development were the subject of a round table.
“The African Development Bank is pleased with the Hispanic-African partnership, in particular the collaboration between ICEX and the Urban and Municipal Development Fund which supports the development of infrastructure and urban planning projects”, declared, in the text, Stefan Atchia, Head of the Bank’s Urban Development Division, who signed on behalf of the institution.
For her part, María Peña Mateos, Director General of ICEX, indicated that “Spain has great experience in innovation and technology for urban services, which we want to make available to African cities”. . In addition, the memorandum agreed to facilitate the participation of the African Development Bank in the Smart Cities Expo World Congress, scheduled to take place in Barcelona in November 2023, to learn more about the objectives and technologies related to urban development, inclusiveness and sustainability.
The signed partnership document should form the basis for a long-term alignment of interests between the two parties.
The Urban and Municipal Development Fund promotes sustainable, resilient and inclusive urban planning in Bank member countries. It facilitates the financing and implementation of infrastructure projects across Africa. It emphasizes the crucial role of private sector expertise and financing in addressing the significant urban infrastructure and services gap in African cities.
Finally, the official document points out, the ICEX works to encourage the participation of Spanish companies in projects that promote sustainable development. The agency acts as a prescriber and reference public body in the field of sustainable internationalization, with the conviction that internationalization can and must be part of the solution to the major challenge of global development, by stimulating innovation to make it the catalyst for more inclusive and sustainable products and processes.
Moctar STAYED / VivAfrik
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