18 Aug 2022

Participating in the United Nations (UN) activities enables Botswana to enhance its image and use the multilateral system to achieve its developmental aspirations and objectives.

Answering a question in Parliament on Wednesday, Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng said Botswana played active and leadership roles at UN through participation in meetings, conferences and other activities.

He pointed out that such active participation was important in opening up opportunities for Botswana to better take advantage of technical assistance from the UN system. 

He further said the participation allowed the country to influence UN policy-making decisions aligned to the national agenda.

“At the highest level, we endeavour to participate at the United Nations General Assembly high level meetings held around September each year in New York. 

These meetings are an epitome of the year-long activities that we undertake through our permanent mission in New York,” said the minister.

Mr Morwaeng explained that through high level participation in the UN, Botswana was able to assume the presidency of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). He noted that the presidency ran from July 23, 2020 to July 25, 2022.

“This high profile global position allowed Botswana through our ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in New York to feature in many UN high level meetings, conferences and events together with the president of the general assembly, UN secretary general and president of the UN Security Council, the Peace Building Commission and the Human Rights Council in discharging the ECOSOC charter mandate,” said the minister.

Mr Morwaeng said Botswana as ECOSOC president was charged with the task of championing the global implementation of Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030.

He further said Botswana, through its permanent mission in Geneva, Switzerland, also actively participated in leadership roles of various UN agencies. 

He said such included the World Health Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, the International Centre and the Human Rights Council. 

He said Botswana assumed membership of the World Health Organisation (WHO) executive board from May 2020 to May 2023.

“Botswana benefits significantly from engaging with other member states in this platform in the formulation of global health policy and governance for priority setting, including providing leadership to combat public health emergencies and pandemics.

The board provides recommendations for decisions and resolutions for approval by the World Health Assembly as well as to monitor their implementation,” said the minister.

He said the WHO engagements enabled Botswana to identify trends, best practices opportunities for development and technical assistance, training and exchange programmes as well as investment opportunities in the health sector.

Mr Morwaeng further noted that Botswana chaired the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement body for the year 2022, the Kimberly Process certification scheme for the year 2022 and is a member of the UNESCO executive board for the period 2021 to 2025.

He said as a result of engagement in the international system, Botswana accrued benefits through technical assistance and capacity-building in the areas of human rights, disarmament, environment, peace and security and economic diplomacy.

Among the benefits, the minister said Botswana was working with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to develop a dashboard for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

He further said UNDP was assisting the country with the development of the economic diplomacy strategy while the International Organisation for Migration was assisting Botswana with development of the Botswana diaspora policy and development of a national migration policy.

Takatokwane MP, Mr Tshoganetso Leuwe had asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs to give an update on Botswana’s contribution/role in the multilateral system at the United Nations and other agencies. 

He also wanted the minister to state benefits accrued to Botswana from such engagements. ends