27 October 2027, Addis Ababa

Excellencies Senior Government Ministers and Officials 

Excellencies Ambassadors and Heads of Cooperation 

The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad-interim

UNFPA Representative and other Heads of UN Agencies 

Esteemed Partners 

Ladies and Gentlemen 

Ten years ago, world leaders including the Leaders of Ethiopia, pledged to implement the Sustainable Development Goals—a universal, integrated agenda to leave no one behind; to end poverty in all its forms; to protect our planet; to ensure that all people can live in dignity, equality and peace; and to forge partnerships grounded in shared responsibility. Those were not mere aspirations; they were solemn commitments to people, planet and prosperity.

Ethiopia has embraced the SDGs and made them the cornerstone of its development plans and aspirations for inclusive prosperity. Before recent shocks, growth cut poverty and improved education, health, and water access. Electricity access and renewables expanded, alongside industrial parks and digital services. Gender parity in primary schooling improved and harmful practices declined. Climate initiatives, reforestation, hydropower and ambitious NDCs signal commitment.

But as we race toward 2030, the multilateral order on which the 2030 Agenda was anchored is under assault. Global dynamics are shifting from trade to protectionism; multilateralism is giving way to transactional diplomacy; conflicts, climate shocks and pandemics have strained solidarity; and traditional ODA especially for African countries is contracting just as needs are rising. 

But adversity does not diminish the imperative of sustainable development—it sharpens it. Our task remains to reduce pressure on planetary boundaries, expand opportunity, and secure global public goods and a life in dignity for all.  

It is in this context that, guided by the Government and people of Ethiopia, UNDP has designed its next five-year country programme. The CPD is pitched as a last, determined push towards achieving the SDGs in Ethiopia. 

Today we launch it jointly with UNFPA’s Country Program—our sister agency born in 1972 from UNDP’s own lineage. We do so to make a bold statement, that Ethiopia’s demographic realities and development choices are inseparable.  Together, we intend to help the country tip decisively towards a demographic dividend.

Achieving both country programs in a chaotic multilateral order demands a radical paradigm shift.  So here are the critical shifts that will guide our implementation: 

First, from projectism to portfolios and partnership. The true benchmark of success is not the volume of projects we implement but the quality of advice we provide, the policies we help shape, and the cooperation we facilitate.  UNDP will double down on being a trusted thought partner—bringing seasoned expertise to the questions that matter to governments: how to prioritize amidst competing demands; how to strengthen institutions, how to build topnotch data and tax systems; how to expand decent jobs. We will tap Ethiopian universities, think tanks, civil society and Global South knowledge hubs—to build home-grown capacity at scale.

Second, we will catalyze investment as development accelerator. The collapse of traditional financing, growing debt burdens, and fatigue with project-heavy aid driven development assistance demand new approaches. Government Development Financing must become a central pillar—investing Ethiopian resources for Ethiopian development. Ethiopia is already leading the way to wane itself off aid driven development cooperation. It is seeking multilateral development cooperation that values equal partnership. 

UNDP will act as an investment facilitator and honest broker: supporting domestic resource mobilization; structuring blended finance; engaging the private sector and diaspora; and leveraging South–South and triangular cooperation grounded in mutual benefit, sovereignty and non-conditionality. 

In a multipolar world, Ethiopia should secure partnerships on its terms; we will help the country negotiate better deals that protect sovereignty, build value chains and create jobs.

Third, we will invest in building national systems at all levels through investment in nationally implemented modalities. Direct service delivery by external actors can unintentionally weaken national capacity. UNDP will focus our effort on strengthening institutions and local administrations to sustain services and help cement the social contract. 

Fourth, from tokenist joint UN Agencies collaboration to substantive coherence and cooperation. With UNFPA, we have agreed to offer an integrated package: economic transformation and job creation to maximize youth dividend;  governance and social cohesion; gender-based violence prevention; and population data systems that inform policy. This is how we operationalize One UN to “leave no one behind.”

Fifth, we will retool skills in our team to engage emerging constituencies, co-create with local actors, and move at the speed of change. We will measure ourselves by impact per dollar, not dollars per activity.

So, to our development partners: we invite you to invest in this paradigm shift—funding cooperation that strengthens systems, aligns with national priorities, and endures beyond project cycles. This means more unearmarked funding that allows for portfolio support and transformation. 

To the Government of Ethiopia: your leadership and co-investment are decisive. We pledge to remain your trusted partner.  Conflicts in some parts of the country slow down Ethiopia’s leap to a prosperous future. We will continue to stand with you as you search for total peace. 

To Ethiopia’s private sector, civil society, youth and academia: you are co-authors of this program. We pledge to work hand in hand with you to catalyze investment and unleash knowledge. 

The stakes are high, but so is Ethiopia’s potential. With clarity of purpose, equitable partnerships and disciplined execution, this five-year programme can help convert headwinds into tailwinds. 

Let us renew the spirit of 2015—not as rhetoric, but as resolve—and deliver, together, for Ethiopia’s people.

Thank you.