THE United Nations (UN) and the government have officially begun shaping a five-year development framework for 2027-31.
The framework is anchored on innovative financing, economic transformation and climate resilience as the country pursues its goal of achieving upper-middle-income status by 2030.
Speaking at high-level stakeholder consultations in Harare on Wednesday, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator Edward Kallon said Zimbabwe’s next development phase would hinge on stronger partnerships and new financing models.
He said lessons from the current co-operation cycle underscored the importance of collaboration between government, development partners, the private sector and communities.
“This reality calls for a new approach to development finance,” Kallon said.
“Innovative mechanisms such as blended finance, public-private partnerships and other forms of catalytic investment are becoming increasingly important.”
The new UN co-operation framework is being aligned with the country’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2), which will guide development priorities in the coming years.
UNDP Zimbabwe resident representative Ayodele Odusola confirmed that the programme’s timeline is deliberately structured to follow the finalisation of NDS 2, ensuring “100% alignment in content”.
- Govt adopts UN protocol on child rights
- UN spotlights Mat'land marginalisation
- Chefs attempt to sneak to UN
- 'AU, EU must intervene on Zim crisis'
Keep Reading
Presenting achievements from the current Country Programme Document (CPD), Odusola highlighted significant milestones under the previous programme.
Under climate resilience, the UNDP completed 19 irrigation schemes and renovated 17 dams damaged by floods.
In rural economic transformation, 16 village business units were completed within one year, each featuring irrigated farming, fencing, fish ponds and solarised social facilities.
In water infrastructure, nearly 1 000 boreholes were sunk between 2022 and 2026, including approximately 550 at rural clinics funded by the Global Fund.
The energy sector saw UNDP-supported initiatives add nearly 19 megawatts of solar power to the national grid, alongside expanding the “Solar for Health” programme — the largest such initiative globally — across rural health facilities.
In the health sector, UNDP supported the installation of two giant incinerators at Sally Mugabe Central and Mpilo Central hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo, respectively.
HIV testing averaged 1,4 million people annually between 2022 and 2026, while 1,2 million people received regular antiretroviral treatment.
A health worker support scheme now covers over 27 000 workers.
Odusola also noted digital innovations, including the application of drones in agriculture and a digital monitoring system tracking solar installations nationwide.
