The historic change of government has strengthened Botswana’s democratic credentials but has not yet delivered the sweeping reforms and institutional improvements expected from the political transition.
This is according to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Botswana (UNSDCF 2022-2026) Final Evaluation Report released this year. The UN recognises the country’s first peaceful transfer of power since independence but warns that the new administration faces a substantial reform agenda over jobs, inequality, governance and human rights which remain unresolved.
The report describes Botswana as internationally recognised for political stability, democracy and the rule of law. It says the 2024 general elections resulted in the first change of governing party since independence and demonstrated the continuity of Botswana’s democratic processes under a stable constitutional framework.
While the report did not mention the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) by name, the UN notes that; ‘The new government has purposed itself as ‘human rights focused government’ hence is undertaking reforms geared towards strengthening access to justice.’
‘However, challenges persist in public sector efficiency, youth political participation, and local governance,’the report says. It adds that; ‘Anti-corruption perceptions have fluctuated, with citizens expressing concerns over service delivery and resource management.’
Unemployment emerges as one of the country’s most serious socio-economic challenges identified by UN. The report puts the official unemployment rate at 27.6 percent in 2024 with the situation worsening in early 2025. It says young people are bearing the heaviest burden.
The report says youth unemployment was estimated at around 38-40 percent in 2025 with young people accounting for approximately 62 percent of the unemployed population.
The report says employment outcomes were expected to improve through economic transformation, skills development and enterprise-support initiatives. However, it states that these outcomes ‘have not yet materialised at the anticipated scale.’
Gender-based violence remains another major concern with the report citing evidence that one in three women experiences some form of GBV during her lifetime.
The UN also points to unresolved human rights issues. Although human rights protections are described as generally upheld, civil society continues to demand stronger protections for marginalised groups and greater media freedom.
The country is also among the few in Southern Africa yet to ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The report further highlights the status of the Ombudsman, which serves as Botswana’s national human rights institution but has yet to comply with the Paris Principles and be fully operationalised.
The UN assessment found that women held only 11 percent of parliamentary seats after the 2019 elections, with seven of 63 MPs being women. That figure fell to 8.7 percentfollowing the 2024 elections, when women occupied just six of 69 parliamentary seats. The report notes that this is below the 27 percent SADC regional average.
It identifies the absence of legislated quotas, barriers to campaign financing and entrenched gender norms as factors limiting women’s political participation. It says women own about 35 percent of formal private-sector firmsand account for more than half of businesses in the informal economy.
However, the UN says many women-owned enterprises remain concentrated in low-value sectors and continue to face difficulties accessing finance.
The UN notes that the economy has been hit by diamond-market volatility, the COVID-19 pandemic and global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine. It says a modest recovery was anticipated in 2025, supported by the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme, which seeks to diversify the economy, improve productivity and stimulate private-sector growth. Despite a substantial reduction in poverty over the past two decades, the UN says inequality remains exceptionally high. Botswana’s Gini coefficient is estimated at about 0.53, placing the country among the more unequal societies globally.
The UN evaluation also raises concerns about Botswana’s health outcomes. Non-communicable diseases are increasing while maternal mortality remains at approximately 166 deaths per 100,000 live births, above Sustainable Development Goal targets. In 2022, Botswana recorded 560 neonatal deaths. The leading causes included birth asphyxia and trauma at 27.1 percent, low birth weight at 25 percentand diarrhoeal diseases at 8.6 percent.
The UN says the evaluation process provided an opportunity for government, UN agencies and other stakeholders to reflect on implementation, identify missed opportunities and assess progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and Botswana’s Vision 2036 agenda.