Remarks by H.E. Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance

At the Joint Launch of UNDP/UNFPA Country Programmes

Addis Ababa, 27 October 2025

State Ministers,

Dr. Aboubacar Kampo, Interim Resident Coordinator and UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia,

Mr. Samuel Doe, Resident Representative for UNDP in Ethiopia,

Mr. Koffi Kouame​​, Country Representative of UNFPA,

Honorable Ambassadors,

Representataives of Development Partners,

Representatives from the government, civil society and private sector,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to join you today at this important event marking the joint launch of the new Country Programme Documents of UNDP and UNFPA for the period 2025–2030.

At the outset, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to our development partners and donors who are here today for their continued support to Ethiopia’s development agenda. Your steadfast partnership has played a vital role in advancing our national priorities and contributing to our development agenda.

Allow me also to express the Government’s heartfelt appreciation to UNDP and UNFPA for their strong collaboration and responsive support to Ethiopia over the years. We recognize and commend your critical contributions in areas ranging from governance, resilience, and economic transformation to health, gender equality, and social development. I would also like to acknowledge UNICEF, represented here by Abou, who is serving as the interim UN Resident Coordinator, as one of the prominent UN agencies with a broad and impactful portfolio in Ethiopia.

The new Country Programmes we are launching today are well aligned with Ethiopia’s Ten-Year Development Plan (2021–2030) and the Home-Grown Economic Reform (HGER) agenda. They demonstrate the deep collaboration between the Government and the United Nations system within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

Both the UNDP and UNFPA Country programmes (2025-2030) have undergone extensive and thoughtful consultations with Government institutions, youth, CSOs, Academia, the UN, and Development partners including sessions in which I personally participated. Building on the achievements and lessons of previous cycles, these programmes reflect our collective determination to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while responding to emerging national priorities and global challenges.

UNFPA’s focus on the Three Plus One Transformative Results — ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unmet need for family planning, ending gender-based violence and harmful practices, and ending the sexual transmission of HIV infections — is critical for advancing human capital and protecting the rights and dignity of women and girls.

In parallel, UNDP’s focus on inclusive governance, resilient economic growth, and environmental sustainability aligns closely with Ethiopia’s reform priorities and its vision for a sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

As we enter this new programme cycle, the Government wishes to emphasize the importance of strong collaboration and synergy among UN agencies to ensure greater impact. The complexity of development challenges requires joint programming that promotes efficiency and better use of scarce resources, especially in the context of the current global funding constraints.

The Ministry of Finance encourages all partners to work together to minimize fragmentation and duplication while maximizing complementarity and coherence in interventions. This approach is essential for achieving more sustainable results and for ensuring that the combined efforts of the UN system deliver value for money and measurable impact for communities.

Moreover, the Government urges the UN system to strengthen its resource mobilization capacity, particularly by tapping the unleashed opportunities. Broadening the resource base will be critical to sustain results and to secure long-term development outcomes during this programme cycle.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

This joint launch is both a celebration of our partnership and a reaffirmation of our shared responsibility to deliver for the people of Ethiopia. The Ministry of Finance reiterates the Government’s strong commitment to continue working closely with UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and the wider UN development system in advancing the objectives of the new Country Programmes.

We will continue to facilitate coordination, alignment, and mutual accountability to ensure that these partnerships contribute effectively to Ethiopia’s national development priorities.

Before concluding, let me once again extend our gratitude to all development partners and donors for their continued trust and support to Ethiopia. Your collaboration remains central to our success in realizing our development aspirations.

Let us continue to nurture this partnership grounded in mutual respect, shared vision, and collective action to improve lives, advance equality, and build a resilient and prosperous Ethiopia.

Having said that, I would like to declare that the UNDP and UNFPA Country Programmes (2025–2030) are officially launched.

Thank you.