Ministry of Finance, UN discuss sustainable financing for durable solutions initiative

Addis Ababa, August 31, 2024 (FBC) – Ms. Semereta Sewasew, Minister of State for Finance, had a discussion at her office today with Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, regarding the design of Sustainable Financing for the Durable Solution Initiative (DSI) in Ethiopia.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the Ethiopia Durable Solutions Initiative (DSI) offers a principled framework and platform for creating and executing long-term solutions to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ethiopia, as well as host communities and areas of return, relocation, or local integration.

The Ethiopia Durable Solutions Initiative seeks to foster collaboration and coordination between Ethiopian government authorities at national, regional, and local levels and the international community.

This initiative aligns with key governmental plans and strategies, as well as international standards, including the 2010 United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and the 2010 Inter-Agency Standing Committee Framework on Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons. However, the Initiative can only be effective if it receives full financing and support from the government, development partners, and other stakeholders, including the private sector.

Accordingly, the discussions focused on how to ensure sustainable finance for the Durable Solutions Initiatives to be implemented across various regions of Ethiopia. A sustainable financing approach is essential to ensure the initiative’s effectiveness given the large number of IDPs in the country.

In this regard, a consensus has been reached with the UN to support the development of a sustainable financing strategy for durable solutions. This strategy will align with the national financing framework and emphasize the exploration of new and innovative funding sources.