THE government and the United Nations are reinforcing their cooperation framework as Zimbabwe rolls out its new National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2), accelerating efforts to become an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
Speaking at the Joint SDG and Co-operation Framework Steering Committee meeting, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya said the review came at a critical time as the country implemented its second national development blueprint. He described NDS 2 as “the last mile” towards realising Zimbabwe’s aspirations for a prosperous and empowered society.
“Sustainable development is not a reclusive pathway,” Rushwaya said.
“It requires steady and strategic partnerships, synchronised and differentiated actions and a unified and shared vision.”
He credited the UN system for its ongoing support, highlighting contributions that have strengthened governance, policy implementation and integrated development management.
“Without doubt, the UN team has simply demonstrated that government is to manage for sustainable development results if it is to remain relevant in meeting citizens’ needs and addressing their challenges,” Rushwaya said.
He said the co-operation framework guided development efforts towards five key pillars focused on people, prosperity, planet, peace and partnership.
UN resident and humanitarian coordinator Edward Kallon, who is retiring after a 35-year career, noted that the country is transitioning from NDS 1 to NDS 2 and preparing for the next Co-operation Framework (2027-31).
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He revealed that the UN mobilised US$2 billion of the planned US$2,8 billion for the current cycle, with more than half delivered through joint programmes — a figure exceeding the global benchmark.
Kallon said more than 54% of the resources were delivered through joint programmes, exceeding the global benchmark of 30%, a shift he described as enhancing coherence and reducing transaction costs.
However, he cautioned that the era of expanding grant resources was over, emphasising that official development assistance is stagnating or declining in real terms.
“We cannot plan the final year of the current Co-operation Framework or design the next one on the assumption of ever expanding grant resources,” he said.
Looking ahead, Kallon outlined a roadmap for the next Co-operation Framework (2027-31), which will be fully aligned with NDS 2 and Vision 2030.
He stressed the need to operationalise “UN 2.0”, focusing on data analytics, digital transformation and strategic foresight.
He used the platform to highlight operational efficiencies, noting that the UN Country Team achieved US$1,1 million in cost avoidance in 2025, bringing total savings to US$7,8 million over the last five years.
