The Government of Japan has provided US3 million through UNDP to support the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC).

Financing by Japan will go toward enhancing the staffing and technical office capacity of the ENDC and strengthening public awareness of the national dialogue process. Included in the package are 100 computers, 12 vehicles which will be used to access more of the local population, and other essential items which will be provided to the ENDC office, handbooks and leaflets to promote greater understanding of the national dialogue, and 30 experts employed to serve as advisors to the national dialogue. The project is expected to contribute to the participation of approximately 1.5 million people in the national dialogue across Ethiopia.

Japan’s support is part of a partnership coordinated by UNDP through a US 35 million multi-year project that provides technical, financial and operational assistance to build the ENDC’s capacity to deliver on its mandate.

During the ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia Ito Takako expressed her hope that the grant aid project will help the ENDC in its work to give Ethiopians a greater sense of unity as a country and a better understanding of each other in different regions and areas, as well as among different ethnic groups. 

“The Ethiopian national dialogue is a significant and unprecedented initiative with the potential to write a new social contract for Ethiopia through dialogue and debates around critical issues with direct relevance to democratization, lasting peace, and sustainable development of the country,” noted Turhan Saleh, UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia. 

The ENDC was established with 11 Commissioners by the House of People’s Representatives in February 2022 with a three-year mandate to lead an independent, inclusive, and transparent national dialogue across the country.