After eleven years in Tunis, in the framework of its installation in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) due to the relocation of the African Development Bank (AfDB), its host institution, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) visited some UN agencies and programmes based in Abidjan.

The Executive Secretary of ADEA, Ms. Oley Dibba Wadda indeed prioritized a plan of courtesy calls on Ivorian Government High officials as well as UN Country Representatives in order to establish and/or strengthen collaborative relations with these strategic partners.

To this end, on August 26th 2015, Ms. Oley Dibba Wadda and her team met with the UNESCO Representative in Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Ydo Yao and the UNAIDS Country Representative, Mr. Tamsir Sall.

From the meeting between ADEA and UNESCO, some potential collaboration elements – which can enhance the existing partnership between the two institutions – emerged as follows:

• Knowledge and experience sharing on issues related to the promotion of endogenous science and technology;
• Enhancement and conservation of the African cultural heritage;
• Literacy Development through ICT use.

Moreover, equally rewarding was the meeting between ADEA and UNAIDS. The transversal nature of education requires a special focus on several key dimensions including health. "HIV/AIDS remains a major challenge which needs synergy between our two institutions," said Ms. Dibba-Wadda. According to UNAIDS, in 2014, there were around 36.9 million people living with HIV. However, new HIV infections have fallen by 35% while among children have declined by 58% since 2000. As ADEA established an Ad Hoc working Group on HIV/AIDS and Education (from 2002 to 2008), this visit will help to strengthen the education component in this dimension.

Upcoming courtesy calls on other core partners have been already scheduled.