Addis Ababa University (AAU) holds a roundtable discussion on “Policy Coherence for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ethiopia” with FDRE Parliament Standing Committee members at Hilton Addis Hotel on the 10th of December 20. The half-day roundtable discussion was organized by the SustGOV-NORHED project of AAU which is implemented in collaboration with the University of Oslo in Norway and the University of Malawi. Dr. Yeshitla Wendmeneh, SustGOV project leader at AAU, stated that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss and exchange views with legislators on the importance of improving policy coherence for sustained development in Ethiopia. It was also intended to create a platform for fostering policy coherence in the country as the MPs have crucial responsibilities with respect to national policy making and implementation. The meeting started with brief introductions by the SustGOV project team (Prof. Dan Banik from Norway through a video message, Dr Yeshitla Wondmeneh and Dr Aklilu Amsalu) and followed by deliberations using guiding discussion points.
The discussion points focus on: the existence of institutional structures and systems to support policy coherence; coordination of development priorities across line ministries and monitoring mechanisms; use of budget as instrument to set development priorities, reconcile policy objectives and enhance policy coherence and its effectiveness; the mechanisms to avoid and resolve policy conflict; and the use of evidence from impartial sources for enhancing policy coherence and efficiency. In the discussion, MPs identified good practices and the challenges related to policy making and implementation. They emphasized on the importance of coherence and synergy across the sectorial policies. According to Dr. Yeshitla, a series of similar roundtable discussions will be conducted with Regional MPs, the media, and civil society organizations on issues related to sustaining development in the country.