Addis Ababa, May 19, 2026 (FMC) – Ethiopia’s Finance Minister Ahmed Shide has called for a fundamental rethink of the global development and financial architecture, urging a shift from crisis-driven responses toward prevention and long-term resilience building.
Addressing a plenary session titled “Building a System Fit for the Challenges of the 21st Century” at the Global Partnerships Conference in London, the Minister said the global system is increasingly shaped by interconnected shocks, including climate change, geopolitical fragmentation, debt pressures, and supply chain disruptions.
He noted that these challenges continue to disproportionately affect developing countries, despite their limited role in contributing to global crises.
Ahmed Shide stressed the need to strengthen resilience and sovereignty as essential foundations for shared prosperity, arguing that current global institutions are not fully equipped to respond to today’s fast-evolving risks.
He called for stronger country ownership in development financing, greater emphasis on resilience financing as a long-term investment, and expanded use of anticipatory tools such as early warning systems.
The Minister also underscored the importance of ensuring that technology promotes inclusion rather than deepening inequality, and reiterated that humanitarian assistance should align with national systems to strengthen institutions rather than create dependency.
Ahmed Shide said Ethiopia is advancing its Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda, including macroeconomic stabilization, digital transformation, and renewable energy expansion, while emphasizing the need for stronger international partnerships to sustain progress.
The conference in London brings together policymakers, development institutions, and private-sector leaders to discuss reforms in global partnerships, with a focus on green growth, investment, and sustainable development, particularly in Africa.