President of Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye and UNICEF Regional Director put the future of children at the heart of their discussions

Bujumbura, 18 September 2026 – The President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union, His Excellency Évariste Ndayishimiye, received Ms Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, for an audience on 17 September 2026, during her official visit to Burundi.

Ms Kadilli was accompanied by Ms France Bégin, UNICEF Representative in Burundi, and Ms Dora-Aimee Dushime, Nutrition Specialist.

The audience took place as UNICEF celebrates 80 years of work to advance the rights and well-being of children around the world. 

This anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved through the partnership between the Government of Burundi and UNICEF, while renewing their shared commitment to addressing the challenges that continue to affect children and, together with them, building a more equitable, resilient and opportunity-filled future.

The UNICEF Regional Director particularly commended the Head of State for his efforts, as Chairperson of the African Union, to advance the “Youth, Peace and Security” and “Women, Peace and Security” agendas. She notably welcomed his engagement through the Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security, as well as initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s contribution to conflict prevention and the consolidation of sustainable peace in Burundi, across the region and throughout the African continent.

Making water security and sanitation a priority for children

The discussions placed particular emphasis on the African Union’s 2026 Theme of the Year on Water Security and Sanitation. Ms Kadilli commended President Ndayishimiye’s leadership on this issue, as well as the ambition reflected in the proposed Burundi Presidential Pact for Water, Hygiene and Sanitation 2026–2030.

The Head of State highlighted Burundi’s significant water potential, while underscoring the need to strengthen the planning, sustainable management and equitable distribution of water resources. He expressed his intention to progressively expand access to water services across the country, reaching every hill in Burundi.

Investing in nutrition and early childhood development

The meeting also highlighted the importance of the first 1,000 days of life, a critical period for brain development, physical growth, learning capacity and every child’s future productivity.

Ms Kadilli welcomed the Government of Burundi’s commitment to nutrition and early childhood development. She also expressed her appreciation for the leadership of the First Lady, Her Excellency Angeline Ndayishimiye, in promoting integrated early childhood development.

The Head of State further underscored the importance of developing dedicated early childhood spaces to support the health, nutrition and overall development of young children. He stressed the need to ensure not only that every child has access to sufficient food, but also that the food is nutritious and of good quality.

Ensuring every child’s right to an identity

The Regional Director congratulated Burundi on the progress achieved in birth registration. The country has one of the highest birth registration rates in sub-Saharan Africa and significant potential to achieve the goal of universal birth registration by 2030.

Recalling that birth registration is every child’s first right and a gateway to enjoying many other rights, Ms Kadilli advocated adopting the new Code on Persons and the Family.

“We are grateful to the President of the Republic and the Government of Burundi for their continued partnership with UNICEF. In a rapidly evolving global environment, our shared responsibility is to protect and accelerate the investments that enable every child to survive, develop to their full potential, learn and be protected,” Ms Kadilli mentioned.

Ms Kadilli’s visit to Burundi, from 16 to 18 September 2026, also included meetings with national authorities, development partners and United Nations agencies.

Following the presidential audience, the Regional Director visited the Busuma refugee site in Ruyigi commune, where she met children, families, communities and teams working in health, nutrition, water, hygiene and sanitation, child protection, risk communication and community engagement.