In a show of enduring commitment to international solidarity, a delegation from the Principality of Monaco embarked on a high-level working visit to Madagascar from Monday, March 24 to Friday, April 4. Led by Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Department of External Relations and Cooperation, the mission aimed to strengthen existing partnerships, assess on-the-ground progress of funded initiatives, and reaffirm Monaco’s long-standing cooperation with the island nation.
Madagascar holds a unique position as Monaco’s foremost development partner for the past two decades. The collaboration spans over 40 projects, ranging from public health to education and local entrepreneurship, jointly implemented with both public institutions and civil society actors. The two countries are bound by a health sector agreement since 2016, and a general framework agreement signed in 2022 has since broadened the scope of cooperation.
The delegation’s itinerary covered four regions of Madagascar — a country where over 80 percent of the population lives below the poverty line — yet where civil society remains a beacon of resilience and innovation. Key discussions took place with beneficiaries and local authorities, including a meeting with Professor Zely Arivelo Randriamanantany, Madagascar’s Minister of Public Health.
One highlight was the inspection of a flagship health programme on the island of Sainte-Marie, where Monaco supports the national universal health coverage strategy alongside the World Health Organisation. The initiative reflects the Principality’s growing role in supporting systemic health reforms in the Global South.
Monaco’s representatives also praised the diversity and calibre of the projects backed by the government, covering critical sectors such as food security, child protection, education, and employment. In Fianarantsoa and Antananarivo, visits to grassroots initiatives allowed for exchanges with dozens of local partners.
Among the organisations featured in the tour were the FERT/FEKAMA/FIFATA agricultural consortium championing sustainable farming, social investment firm Miarakap’s new entrepreneurial hub, and long-time collaborators like the IECD, working to build hospitality skills in young people. The Sandrata project, run by Apprentis d’Auteuil, continues to provide vital support for child protection services, while the Monaco Collectif Humanitaire’s paediatric cardiac surgery programme has also seen measurable success in the region.
The trip included a visit to the Rainier III Preventorium, a health facility run by a dedicated religious congregation, and concluded with a meeting between Ms Rosabrunetto and Monaco’s Consul General in Madagascar, Cyril Juge, who plays an active role in supporting youth-focused development efforts.
