1, UN and Ethiopia from its establishment to the present.

1.1, Introduction
Ethiopia is a founding member of the United Nations and, the only uncolonized country
of Africa and has a long history of participation in United Nations (UN) peace operations
dating back to the 1950s. It was also the only African member state of the League of
Nations; it is thus undeniable that the country had an important presence in the
international relations scene since the early 20th century. Moreover, Ethiopia is one of
the founding members of the UN and of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU),
which is now called the African Union (AU) headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has been a member of the United Nations since June 26, 1945. The membership
stipulated to prevent from external attacks and invasions and to maintain envisaged "collective
security" despite the being ineffective and the League shortcomings following Italian invasion of
the country in 1935.

1.2, Ethiopia Contribution to United Nations

Ethiopia’s commitment to international peace and security has a long history: in the early 1950s,
its troops joined a multinational UN peacekeeping force in the Korean War. Similar interventions
were also made in the 1960s in the Congo conflict. Since the birth of the UN, Ethiopia has
participated in around a dozen peacekeeping missions worldwide. It is currently the second-
largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations (8,326 personnel) where all of the personnel
are dispatched within Africa. At the regional level, the country is the largest contributor of troops
to African peacekeeping missions. These efforts indicate the political commitment of the country
for peace and security in Africa. In June 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed
‘gratitude for the continued bravery of the Ethiopian troops’ in the AU Mission in Somalia.

The Ethiopian government continues to reiterate its commitment and willingness to

make UN peacekeeping contributions. To this day, Ethiopia is still present in numerous
UN peacekeeping operations in Darfur (UNAMI), in Sudan (UNISFA), in South Sudan
(UNMISS), in Liberia (UNMIL) and in Ivory Coast (UNOCI). It also contributes to the AU
peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM). It is seen by the Ethiopian government to
 be a significant instrument for following different foreign policy and national security
objectives, particularly to contribute in stabilizing the sub-region and Africa more
globally.
1.3, United Nations System in Ethiopia

The UN System in Ethiopia is one of the largest in the world and covers both development and
humanitarian assistance. The UN Country Team (UNCT) in Ethiopia is composed of
representatives of 28 UN funds and programs and specialized agencies. Some of the UN
agencies in the UNCT have regional mandate or act as liaison offices to the UN Economic
Commission in Africa and the African Union. The UN works through a harmonized assistance
framework to support Ethiopia to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
national development priorities. The UN in Ethiopia is also in the process of developing the
United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The United Nations helps to
strengthen the country’s capacity to generate and manage data and to use it to inform decision
making and policy development. The support includes implementation of the National Statistical
Development Strategy , moving the agriculture sector toward climate smart and productivity
through establishing and strengthening the Agricultural Transformation Agency and
modernization of the agriculture sector through mass procurement of machinery for the
Ethiopian agricultural research centers, implementation of a Comprehensive Refugee Response
Framework (CRRF) that aims to deliver a more predictable and sustainable approach to refugee
management for refugees’ self-reliance, enhanced basic and social services for refugees and the
realization of basic rights including access to birth certification and increased enrolment in
education, supporting Ethiopia to boost its industrial and service sector growth and increasing
employment opportunities for women, youth and vulnerable groups. Interventions are giving
micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including small farming businesses, the skills and
capacities they need to produce and The United Nations has coordinated effective humanitarian
response to recurrent drought and internally displaced people (IDPs).
1.4, Ethiopia and UN current condition

Ethiopia has since its participation in international organizations always endorsed the principle of
maintaining peace and collective security both in the context of the UN and the OAU/AU. As a result of
this principle, Ethiopian forces were engaged in several UN peacekeeping and humanitarian missions
throughout history. It has participated in peacekeeping missions in Korea, Congo, Ivory Coast, Rwanda,
Burundi, Liberia, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia. Nowadays, it contributes 8297 troops, police and
military experts to UN peacekeeping operations in the world and holds the position of the second top
contributor by supplying around 8% of the UN peacekeeping force. Moreover, it is currently a leading
contributor of female peacekeepers to UN missions. In part, this is a result of a rather strong
representation of women in the army but also as a policy to involve more women in peacekeeping
efforts. Ethiopia also significantly contributes to the AU peacekeeping force in Somalia (AMISOM),
according to the mission’s website it has provided 4395 uniformed personnel to the operation.

Ethiopia is working with United Nations to prioritize issues of African development, peace and stability,
ensuring food security, sustainable economic development, communication technology and
humanitarian aid. The Food and Agriculture Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations

that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Their goal is to achieve food security
for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to
lead active, healthy lives.
Key Policy Recommendations:

 Ethiopia should work with others in the UNSC, especially the friends of Africa, to prioritize
issues of African development, peace and stability..
 Ethiopia needs a more effective UN system to ensure peace, security and development
The logic of the ‘African solutions to African problems’ principle needs to be promoted and
factored into UN–Africa partnerships, especially in the area of collective security and conflict
management.
More cooperation between the UN and the AU is desirable, and should be based on mutual
respect.
 Addressing Ethiopia’s domestic challenges is imperative.