Haoliang Xu, Assistant Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), paid a working visit to Burkina Faso on Monday, focusing on strengthening cooperation between the UN agency and the Burkinabe authorities.
While in Ouagadougou, the UNDP Assistant Administrator met Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré to discuss ways of further aligning the agency’s support with Burkina Faso’s national development priorities.
The talks focused in particular on the country’s new development framework, as well as the RELANCE plan and its implementation.
“I am here to discuss with the authorities how we can further support the government,” the UN official said, stressing his commitment to helping achieve the objectives set out in the government’s development agenda.
Haoliang Xu described the framework as “strategic, clear and realistic,” noting that it takes into account both Burkina Faso’s potential and the challenges facing the country.
He also praised the determination of the authorities and the Burkinabe people to promote sovereignty and pursue a model of development rooted more firmly in national resources and capabilities.
For his part, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré welcomed the visit, saying that the presence of development partners on the ground helps them gain a better understanding of the country’s realities and priorities.
The Burkinabe foreign minister called for cooperation based on “listening, dialogue and sincerity,” while advocating stronger alignment of UNDP interventions with national priorities.
The mobilisation of resources needed to implement development projects and communication on their impact were also discussed during the meeting.
Before travelling to Burkina Faso, Haoliang Xu had visited Mali and Niger, the two other members of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), alongside Burkina Faso.
Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré also urged the UNDP to review certain country-ranking mechanisms in order to better reflect nations’ specific strengths and realities.
HO/te/Sf/lb/as/APA