China and UN strengthen development cooperation with Sierra Leone

China, the United Nations, and Sierra Leone are strengthening cooperation to advance Sierra Leone’s national development priorities. During discussions in Freetown, UN Resident Coordinator Seraphine Wakana and Chinese Ambassador Zhao Yong emphasized coordinated partnerships in sectors including agriculture, health, education, peacebuilding, and evidence-based policymaking.

The UN presented its Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2025-2030, which aligns with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan. Key areas of focus include constitutional reform, inclusive elections, and youth and women’s empowerment. China has committed to supporting the country’s ‘Big Five Game Changers,’ specifically through the deployment of medical teams and the upcoming arrival of a 15th batch of Chinese agricultural experts to bolster food security.

In a separate but related development of educational cooperation, 130 Sierra Leonean students have departed for China under the 2026 Chinese Government Scholarship Programme. This initiative is part of a long-standing partnership dating back to 1976, aimed at fostering professional development and serving as a bridge for mutual understanding between the two nations.