Ethiopia Presses Global Community to Close the Gap Between Economic Reform and Structural Transformation

Addis Ababa, September 15, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia has called for stronger international economic cooperation to close the gap between reform commitments and the structural transformation needed to build productive, diversified and resilient economies in developing countries.

The call came during the General Debate of the 73rd Session of the UN Trade and Development Board (TDB) in Geneva, where Ethiopia was represented by Ambassador Negus Kebede, Minister Plenipotentiary on WTO Affairs at the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia in Geneva.

Ethiopia reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and stressed the need for a predictable, open, rules-based and development-oriented international economic system capable of supporting countries facing global economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and rising financing costs.

It urged the international community to translate the Geneva Consensus for a Just and Sustainable Economic Order, adopted at UNCTAD-16, into concrete development support, particularly for least developed countries (LDCs).

Against this backdrop, Ethiopia highlighted the progress of its Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda, which seeks to build a more productive, competitive, diversified and resilient economy.

The reforms encompass the restructuring of state-owned enterprises, the opening of the telecommunications and trading sectors, financial-services liberalization, capital-market development and the transformation of the foreign-exchange regime. These measures are being complemented by investment in agriculture, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, logistics and digital transformation.

Ethiopia stressed that the objective of investment liberalization extends beyond attracting capital. It is intended to generate greater domestic value addition, facilitate technology transfer, expand productive employment, diversify exports and advance sustainable development.

The country also underscored the strategic importance of connectivity and trade facilitation, including ports and transport corridors, in linking Ethiopian producers with regional and global markets.

At the continental level, Ethiopia reaffirmed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a critical platform for expanding markets, developing regional value chains and accelerating Africa’s industrial transformation.

Ethiopia further highlighted Digital Ethiopia 2030 as a framework for expanding inclusive digital access, digital capabilities, digital investment and ICT-enabled exports, while welcoming UN Trade and Development’s work on digital technologies and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

On its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ethiopia said the process has reached an advanced and decisive stage and expressed appreciation for UNCTAD’s legal and technical assistance, including support related to its revised market-access offer in financial and telecommunications services.

Ethiopia also called for predictable, affordable and accessible development finance, greater fiscal space and stronger international support for productive investment, infrastructure, human capital, digital connectivity and climate resilience.

It identified four priority areas for stronger cooperation with UNCTAD: structural transformation and export diversification; investment policy and facilitation; regional and global trade integration; and the digital economy and trade facilitation.

The 73rd session of the Trade and Development Board is being held in Geneva from September 14 to 25, 2026.