Government, UN sign a new five-year cooperation framework

21 October 2021, Harare – today the Government and the United Nations signed a new five-year Zimbabwe UN Development Cooperation Framework (ZUNSDCF 2022-2026) that articulates the strategic engagement of the United Nations Country Team in Zimbabwe to support the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The ZUNSDCF was signed by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr. Michek Sibanda and the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Maria Ribeiro.

The Framework was also signed by a total of 25 UN entities committing the UN Development System to draw on the full range of UN expertise on a common platform describing the collective vision and response of the UN Development System in Zimbabwe.

Noting that the ZUNSDCF was fully aligned to the 2021-2025 National Development Strategy I, the SDGs, and the African Union Agenda 2063, the Chief Secretary said, “The Cooperation Framework translates the promise to leave no one behind into tangible action for people on the ground, especially those furthest behind, while embodying the spirit of partnerships that are at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

The ZUNSDCF with full government ownership throughout the process, is a result of extensive consultations involving a wide range of key stakeholders whose inputs contributed to defining the strategic priorities and implementation modalities.

Underlining the participatory nature of the ZUNSDCF process that brought together over 940 people representing various constituencies, UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Maria Ribeiro said, “the Cooperation Framework will deliver concrete results that include access to quality public services and strengthening social cohesion; investing in preparedness and resilience; and accelerating transitions to green, blue, and digital that are critical to accelerate progress to leave no-one behind and protect the planet.” 

The ZUNSDCF lays out an ambitious programme to accelerate development progress during the Decade of Action on SDGs as Zimbabwe works to recover better and stronger from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ZUNSDCF represents the vehicle through which 25 UN entities in partnership with the Government of Zimbabwe and other stakeholders, will deliver transformative support that drives inclusive and sustainable economic growth, gender equality, human rights, and climate action.

The 2022-2026 Zimbabwe UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework is available here.