16 Jun 2020

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has urged global leaders to work tirelessly towards expeditious recovery from COVID-19 effects.

President Masisi said this when addressing a virtual UN Global Compact 2020 leaders’ high level session held under the theme, ‘Raise Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Ambition to Build Back Better and Recover Stronger’ yesterday.

He encouraged global leaders to rebuild resilient economies far more capable to withstand any other unforeseen shocks.

The pandemic, he said,  had exposed the extent of interdependence of the global village.

Hence the need for countries, governments, private sector and civil society to work together through innovative partnerships, he said.

President Masisi said besides the current health and numerous residual consequences brought about by COVID-19, the pandemic would have far reaching socio-economic impact and significantly reverse development gains realised over many decades.

African countries, he said, would certainly face a huge task in moving towards recovery owing to their already vulnerable economies.

“As global economic growth shrinks, so will our domestic economies and it is posited that we are headed for the worst recession ever in living memory,” he said.

In an interview afterwards, President Masisi said the increasingly difficult global health situation had shown that there was need to increase collaboration with civil society, public, business and multinational organisations and adjust costs to doing business and running government.

He commended the UN Global Compact for leveraging private business engagements to ensure countries remained focused in achieving SDGs by 2030.

The President said the 2030 global blueprint agenda for SDG goals which was unanimously embraced by UN member states should assist countries to overcome challenges posed by coronavirus.

In particular, he said it was imperative for private sector leaders to incorporate the SDGs and 10 principles of the UN Global Compact in their business strategies and operations.

He also said the UN Global Compact had a comparative advantage as an ideal platform to galvanise productive partnerships with the private sector adding that without sustainable public private partnerships, governments could not accomplish what was needed to rebound.

On other issues, he said in Botswana, government had taken decisive action to contain the crisis while at the same time enacting policies to support local businesses, in particular, small and medium enterprises.

President Masisi said Botswana remained committed to preventing the spread of COVID-19 saying should the country experience the disease overwhelmingly, the ability to recover would be far less than more sophisticated countries. ENDS