Closing of the 107th Ordinary Session of the ICCO Council in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

Abidjan, 30 April 2023 – The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) held the 107th regular meeting of its Council and Subsidiary Bodies from 25 to 28 April 2023 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, under the chairmanship of Mr. Abel Fernandez, from the Dominican Republic.

During this session held in hybrid format, our Members had the opportunity to exchange views and make valuable contributions on the latest developments in the World Cocoa Economy.  During the four days of meetings, several relevant topics were discussed, including, among others:

  • Confirmation of the reappointment of Michel Arrion as Executive Director for a period of 5 years until 30 September 2028.
  • Update on the next World Cocoa Conference to be held at The Square, Brussels, in Belgium from 21-24 April 2024.
  • Presentation of a study on the implications for the cocoa sector of the new regulatory frameworks for organic products in the European Union and the United States.
  • Presentation of the long-awaited 4th edition of the “Pesticide use in cocoa” manual, jointly edited by the ICCO, ECA, CAOBISCO and the JOINT COCOA RESEARCH FUND, that will soon be available online.
  • Approval of the setting up of an ICCO Expert Working Group on Food Safety.
  • Preparations for the next edition of the Ad Hoc Panel on Fine Flavour Cocoa that will take place in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on 13-14 June 2023.

The next 108th regular session of the International Cocoa Council will be held from 2 to 6 October 2023 in Abidjan and will start with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ICCO and the 10th anniversary of the Abidjan Declaration on the Global Cocoa Agenda.