Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
From July 22 to 23, 2025, the United Nations Development Program organized a semi-annual review workshop on portfolio implementation at the Donatus Conference Center in Bujumbura. The workshop brought together UNDP executives, representatives of relevant sectoral ministries, United Nations agencies, and implementing partners.
In his speech, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Mr. Ferdinand Bashikako, spoke on behalf of His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO. He thanked the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on behalf of the Government for its constant support, flexibility, and strategic alignment with Burundi’s national priorities.
This workshop is part of the implementation of the strategic vision of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Burundi, Major General Evariste Ndayishimiye, who aims at making Burundi an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060. With this in mind, the government has revised the National Development Plan (NDP) to better align its public policies and the interventions of its partners with the following priority areas: sustainable development, governance, innovation, and social justice.
The Acting Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program, Mr. Jonas Mfouatie, said that the joint semi-annual review to monitor the implementation of the 2024-2027 CPD is a strategic moment to assess progress, adjust priorities, and strengthen the shared commitment to a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Burundi. He added that this review is not simply a review, but an opportunity for reflection, deliberation, and collective analysis.
The workshop participants made several recommendations. In particular, they proposed strengthening coordination between sectoral groups for more efficient use of resources, redoubling efforts to regularize advances that have not yet been justified, carrying out joint actions to mobilize resources, and adapting interventions to the new territorial division, which represents a major opportunity to support the country in its decentralization process.
The Permanent Secretary concluded his speech by stating that this mid-year review workshop for the first half of 2025 will enable the Government, the United Nations Development Program, and all stakeholders to assess the status of implementation of the 2025 PTAs, identify constraints, difficulties, and risks, as well as the mitigation actions to be implemented, and update the risk log with a view to proactive and collective management.