The steering committee in charge of the United Nations Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development in Burundi holds its first meeting

On monday, august 8, 2022, the steering committee in charge of the United Nations Cooperation Framework Plan for Sustainable Development in Burundi held its first meeting in the hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation.

In his opening speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation H E Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO indicated that this committee is meeting for the very first time as members of the joint steering committee of the Cooperation Framework Plan of United Nations for Sustainable Development, a tool for making  Burundian society more prosperous, inclusive and resilient by 2027.

The United Nations Cooperation Framework Plan for Sustainable Development was officially launched on april 11, 2022 in the presence of bilateral and multilateral partners and a multidisciplinary national audience (universities, civil society, private sector, etc.) witnessing a turning point in the cooperation between the Government of Burundi and the United Nations System. He explained that this new situation presents itself for the country as an interface with strong links interacting both between the United Nations Programs, the SDGs and the National Programs, in particular the PND 2018-2027 and the National Program for Capitalization of the Peace, Social Security and Promotion of Economic Growth, PNCP-SS-PCE, thus enabling them to achieve concomitantly and mutually.

His Excellency Albert SHINGIRO said that unlike the Development Assistance Framework Plan, the Cooperation Framework Plan brings new life from the reforms introduced in 2019 at the United Nations in their cooperation relations with Burundi. He added that the term assistance, which does not fit with the dignity and intrinsic values ​​of the people of Burundi, has been replaced by the term cooperation, as the President of the Republic has pointed out so well on several occasions, Burundi was not created to be assisted eternally but rather to help each other with other Nations in a spirit of respect and mutual trust. He stressed that on this basis, this new Cooperation Framework is aligned with national priorities, thus becoming a tool at the service of Burundi’s economic transformation, offering various means of placing sustainable development at the heart of economic policies and practices.

As for the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Burundi, Mr. Damien MAMA, he reminded in his speech that the Framework Cooperation Plan is guided by the National Development Plan (PND 2018-2027) and the National Program for Capitalization of Peace, Social Stability and Promotion of Economic Growth (PNCP-SS-PCE), adopted in april 2021. He added that the principles guiding the preparation of the Cooperation Framework Plan: sustainability, resilience, gender equality, accountability, human rights, and leave no one behind.

After these opening speeches, the participants followed the presentation on the implementation of this Framework Plan for United Nations Cooperation for sustainable Development in Burundi presented jointly by Ambassador KUBWAYO, Director General of Multilateral Relations and Mr. Pacome Kossy, Director of Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Burundi.

Afterwards, the participants discussed this new Cooperation Framework Plan, where in general they appreciated it.

It should be reminded that this meeting of the steering committee of the United Nations Framework Plan for Sustainable Development was co-chaired by HE Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO and Damien MAMA and also saw the participation of 7 Ministers from the Government of Burundi and two Heads of United Nations (UNICEF and WHO).