Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland has announced that her country will provide $1 million in funding to support the 2020 elections in Ethiopia.
The funding will be provided through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), she said in a statement on Tuesday.
The funding will be drawn from the $10 million Promoting and Protecting Democracy Fund, which Minister Freeland announced during the Global Conference for Media Freedom in London, United Kingdom, in July 2019.
“Canada’s support for this project will help Ethiopia’s electoral management body increase its capacity in areas such as voter registration and post-electoral support; put in place transparency measures, for example by establishing appropriate dispute resolution systems; and build trust with the electorate, including through voter education,” she said
“The project will have a special focus on ensuring the inclusive participation in the electoral process of women, youth and ethnic groups in all regions of the country,” she added.
“Canada supports Ethiopia’s efforts to implement reforms and strengthen democratic institutions, which are essential for the conduct of credible, inclusive and peaceful elections,” the Minister said.
Recently, the Government of Japan signed an agreement with UNDP to provide $3 million to the multi-partner program – Supporting Elections for Ethiopia’s Democracy Strengthening (SEEDS).
MG/abj/APA