Addis Ababa, August 11, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s National Dialogue has scored its first major breakthrough, with participants reaching consensus on recommendations under two of the conference’s eight core agenda themes — Peacebuilding & Conflict Resolution and Religious Issues — after intensive deliberations.
The two groups of 500 participants assigned to deliberate on the two agendas finalized their recommendations today and formally endorsed their common positions by signing the respective records of proceedings, according to the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission.
The development marks a significant step in the National Dialogue’s progression from the exchange and examination of divergent views toward the consolidation of common positions on issues of national importance.
The National Dialogue Conference, which began on July 15, is deliberating on eight core agenda themes identified through the Commission’s agenda-setting process: State-Building, Identity and History; Government Structure and Federalism; Status of Federal Cities; Religious Issues; Rule of Law and Human Rights; Socio-Economic Development; Corruption; and Peacebuilding & Conflict Resolution.
Under the Commission’s working methodology, each of the eight agenda themes is being deliberated separately by a working group of 500 participants.
The groups assigned to Peacebuilding & Conflict Resolution and Religious Issues have now completed their deliberations by consolidating their views and recommendations, reaching agreement and formally recording the outcome through signed records of proceedings.
The agreement on the two agendas represents the first reported instance in the ongoing conference in which participants have moved through the deliberation process to a formally documented common position.
The development comes as the wider National Dialogue advances from the divergence of views toward convergence, with participants examining different perspectives and working to identify areas of common ground on matters of national significance.
Participants deliberating on the remaining six core agenda themes are expected to follow the same process in the coming days, consolidating their recommendations and formally endorsing their common positions through signed records of proceedings, according to the Commission.