08 Sep 2020

 Botswana needs UN assistance in many sectors, especially now with COVID-19, says Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Kabo Morwaeng.

As a developing landlocked country with a small economy, Botswana experienced many challenges and therefore welcomed all assistance, he said in a meeting with UN resident coordinator to Botswana, Mr Zia Choudhury yesterday.

He told Mr Choudhury, who was paying a courtesy call on him, that Botswana was facing a host of challenges including poverty, unemployment and gender based violence.  Government, he said, needed assistance to address the challenges to make the country a better place for everyone.

Mr Morwaeng also said Botswana was interested in issues of governance and was committed to doing better. Noting that the UN was an important development partner  for Botswana, the minister said government would therefore provide a conducive environment for effective and efficient cooperation.

He added that the UN had always been a positive contributor to Botswana’s development having benefited greatly through its agencies. Government always welcomed any assistance from the UN, said Mr Morwaeng.

For his part, Mr Choudhury said his office was developing a comprehensive country analysis of Botswana. It also planned to develop a new cooperation framework with government which would ensure that UN development system supported Botswana based on its national priorities, he said.

Mr Choudhury stressed that the UN was committed to assisting Botswana to achieve national priorities. He said the UN’s vision was to ensure productive and good relations across governments.

In the past, he explained, the UN worked independently but now strived to coordinate.

Mr Choudhury said his office would coordinate other UN agencies to work with the Ministry  for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration and other ministries.

The UN has been working in partnership with government, civil society, NGOs, private sector and academia with the aim of assisting the country in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ENDS