Bangui, 4 April 2026 - With clear words and a strategic vision, Richard Filakota delivered a strong message during the joint annual review of the country programme of the United Nations Development Programme: the Central African Republic is at a turning point in its economic and institutional development.
His speech is not merely an assessment — it defines a clear ambition to accelerate and restructure the country’s transformation.
A Country in Transition: From Stabilization to Transformation
After years of crisis, the Central African Republic is entering a new phase. Stabilization and reconstruction are no longer ends in themselves — they are becoming the foundation for deep economic transformation.
At the core lies the National Development Plan 2024–2028, which serves as a strategic compass for the government and international partners. Its objectives include:
promoting sustainable and inclusive growth
strengthening state institutions
transforming productive sectors
modernizing infrastructure
building resilience to climate risks
As Filakota emphasized, the focus is no longer solely on recovery — but on structural economic transformation.
International Partnerships as Growth Drivers
A key pillar of this transformation is close cooperation with international partners — foremost the United Nations Development Programme.
The UNDP country programme acts as an operational platform for implementing national priorities, particularly in:
governance and rule of law
stabilization and local economic development
gender equality
climate resilience
economic inclusion
Results from 2025 already demonstrate measurable progress, particularly in supporting national institutions and revitalizing local economies.
Investor Confidence Returns
A particularly strong signal came from the international investors’ roundtable held in Casablanca in 2025. More than 9 billion US dollars in commitments were mobilized — a clear sign of growing confidence in the country’s economic future.
This momentum highlights a key principle: stability builds trust — and trust attracts capital.
Reforming Cooperation: More Efficiency, Greater Impact
The government is going a step further. Filakota announced a strategic realignment of cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme.
A new Memorandum of Understanding aims to:
better align programmes with national priorities
improve coordination
strengthen monitoring and evaluation
enhance resource efficiency
This reform marks a paradigm shift: development partnerships must not only exist — they must deliver measurable impact.
Digitalization as a Key to Modernization
A central tool of this new phase is the digitalization of public governance. The introduction of a national dashboard to track and monitor all development projects represents a major step forward.
Its objectives include:
increasing transparency
improving decision-making processes
optimizing resource allocation
modernizing public administration
Through this, the Central African Republic is positioning itself toward data-driven governance.
New Priorities: Youth, Diaspora, and Entrepreneurship
A particularly notable aspect of the speech is its strong focus on future-oriented sectors. Filakota emphasized that future programmes should prioritize:
digital transformation
investment promotion
youth entrepreneurship
engagement of the diaspora
modernization of public services
This reflects a deliberate strategy to empower key drivers of economic dynamism.
Development as a Shared Responsibility
The speech makes one thing clear: the country’s success depends not only on strategies or funding — but on the quality of cooperation.
Filakota stressed the importance of transparency, accountability, innovation, and collective implementation. The annual review is therefore not a formal exercise, but a strategic moment for reflection and realignment.
A Clear Direction for the Future
The message from Bangui is unmistakable: the Central African Republic does not only have a vision — it is beginning to implement it systematically.
The combination of political will, international support, and structural reform is creating a new momentum that goes far beyond short-term recovery.
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