UNDP Commends Ethiopia’s National Dialogue as Model of Commitment, Inclusion

Addis Ababa, June 19, 2026 (ENA) —The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has described Ethiopia’s National Dialogue as a sustained and impressive effort to address fundamental national issues through inclusive consultations and peaceful engagement.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, on the progress of the process, Resident Representative UNDP Ethiopia, Samuel Gbaydee Doe, noted that the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) has spent the past four years conducting extensive consultations across the country, from woreda to regional levels.

“The national dialogue commission has come a long way. It has been four years now. They have done extensive consultations across the country from woreda level to regional level. It has been quite an impressive process,” he said.

According to him, national dialogue serves as a platform for societies to engage in broad conversations on critical issues affecting their future. He commended both the Ethiopian government and the public for demonstrating the determination and political will required to sustain such a process.

Doe, who has studied and observed national dialogue initiatives in countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, said every nation’s experience is unique because each has its own history, challenges, and grievances.

“National dialogue is an attempt at understanding and having a shared understanding of our history, of our past. It's about the grievances,” he stated, noting that Ethiopia’s circumstances differ significantly from those of other countries due to its long history and diverse social fabric.

He highlighted Ethiopia’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity, describing the country as home to more than 80 nationalities, each with its own history, language, and traditions.

 The dialogue process offers an opportunity to transform this diversity into a source of national strength and unity, he added.

“National dialogue is that space where all of this vast diversity can be turned into a tapestry to demonstrate the beauty of Ethiopia,” Doe said.

Emphasizing the importance of peaceful engagement, the UNDP representative stressed that dialogue remains the only viable path toward lasting national cohesion.

“National dialogue process is not easy. But there is no alternative to dialogue. Because the path to violence, the path to confrontation undermines the future of any society,” he noted.

Doe also expressed confidence in the ongoing process and called on all Ethiopians to support it by building social trust and maintaining their commitment to peaceful dialogue.

“It requires social trust from every member of society to make it work,” he added.