Transforming a city requires a clear vision, coordinated efforts, and a development approach that places people and their well-being at its center. Addis Ababa has once again demonstrated on the international stage that it is translating this principle into action.

At the 2026 Shanghai Global Award for Sustainable Urban Development, held in Shanghai, China, five cities, including Addis Ababa, received recognition.

The five recognized cities are:

1. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. Santiago de Cali, Colombia

3. Istanbul, Türkiye

4. Jingdezhen, China

5. Katowice, Poland

The Shanghai Award is being held for the fourth time internationally. Across its four editions, Addis Ababa has received international recognition twice. In 2024, the city received the Seoul Smart City Award, followed by the Shanghai Global Award for Sustainable Urban Development in 2026.

In addition, in 2023, Addis Ababa received international recognition for its rapid progress in the areas of its school feeding programme and solid waste management.

These recognitions are a great honor for our country and a source of encouragement and renewed motivation for the work we are undertaking. Above all, they provide international affirmation that our people-centered development initiatives are delivering tangible results. They recognize our efforts to improve residents’ living standards and quality of life, as well as our work to transform the city’s natural and social assets into development opportunities and economic value.

Our philosophy of Medemer views development as inseparable from human well-being. It calls on cities to become centers of civilization by identifying and developing their assets, and by combining human potential with natural and economic resources to advance shared prosperity.

Although the progress we have made in our city’s development journey has laid a strong foundation, we recognize that a long journey still lies ahead. Ethiopia, too, is beginning to reap the benefits of its efforts to overcome the poverty and multiple challenges that have burdened the country for generations, achieve sustainable transformation, and advance toward prosperity.

However, turning this challenging journey into comprehensive and lasting transformation requires the collective effort, commitment, and participation of all citizens. We must therefore continue working together with determination and a shared sense of responsibility.

We regard the international recognition we have received not as a destination, but as an added responsibility and a renewed incentive to achieve even greater results.

Building on this momentum, we will continue working to ensure that all Ethiopian cities become foundations of civilization and prosperity. By combining our capabilities through Medemer and transforming our assets into tangible results, we will intensify our efforts to achieve a level of prosperity worthy of our country’s dignity and potential.

Together, we will build cities that serve as centers of Medemer civilization, provide comfortable and inclusive living environments for their residents, and leave a lasting legacy of sustainable prosperity for generations to come.