Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Conference Successfully Concludes After 40 Days of Deliberations

Addis Ababa, August 22, 2026 (ENA) —The closing ceremony of Ethiopia’s month-long National Dialogue Conference is underway at the Addis Ababa Convention Center, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to address longstanding political, social and institutional challenges through dialogue.

The ceremony opened with the Ethiopian national anthem, followed by prayers from religious leaders.

Religious leaders, former and current presidents, senior government officials, national figures and invited guests are attending the closing session.

For 40 days, nearly 4,000 Ethiopians from diverse backgrounds came together to deliberate on some of the country’s most consequential national questions.

 

They listened to one another, debated difficult and often deeply contested issues, challenged competing views and sought areas of common ground.

Their deliberations culminated in approximately 400 recommendations aimed at addressing major national challenges and laying foundations for a more peaceful, inclusive and stable Ethiopia.

The conference addressed eight broad thematic agendas: nation-building; state structure, governance and political and electoral systems; the status of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa; religious affairs, historical grievances and reconciliation; institution-building, the rule of law and human rights; socio-economic issues, including the concerns of farmers and pastoralists; corruption and good governance; and peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

 

The breadth of the discussions reflects the scale of the challenges confronting Ethiopia—and the determination of participants to confront them through dialogue rather than division.

What unfolded over the past 40 days was more than a formal political gathering, it was indicated.

It was an attempt to bring Ethiopians with different experiences, interests and perspectives around the same table and create space for difficult national conversations.

The conclusion of the conference therefore represents not an end, but a new phase: translating the recommendations generated through dialogue into meaningful action, institutional reform and lasting national consensus.

 

For Ethiopia, the real measure of the National Dialogue will ultimately lie beyond the conference hall—in whether its recommendations can help build a more inclusive political system, strengthen institutions, address historical grievances, deepen social cohesion and contribute to lasting peace.