13 Oct 2022

The United Nations (UN) brings together development partners to foster partnerships and encourage them to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), says under-secretary general and executive director of UN Habitat, Ms Maimunah Sharif.

Speaking at the first development partners forum in Gaborone on Wednesday, Ms Sharif said the event enabled them to learn more about current and emerging development issues and to debate strategies for achieving the SDGs.

She said the forum was critical as the world recovered from the impact of COVID-19 and sought to find a viable pathway to a more prosperous, equitable, healthy and secure planet through multilateral cooperation.

“We consider this platform key to jointly reflect on progress made as well as the opportunities to further improve results and strengthen our cooperation. It is also timely given that Botswana is preparing its new National Development Plan 12,” she said.

Ms Sharif said they were looking forward to learning about government’s priorities and areas they would like to focus on in 2023 and beyond. 

She added that they were guided by a ‘results driven approach’, which could be further refined in the thematic working groups that would meet throughout the year.

She noted that Botswana had embraced the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs.

“Your country was among the first to do a voluntary national review in 2017 and another in 2022,” said Ms Sharif.

She said her organisation was convinced that the coordination of their work would contribute to the implementation of Botswana’s national priorities. 

She added that they were looking at the leadership to shape the priorities and to fulfill the promise of leaving no-one behind.

Ms Sharif also noted that the SDGs outlined the world that was free from poverty, deprivation and inequality. 

The UN Habitat chief said the SDGs were a response to the challenges of the 21st century and that they represented the interlinked 5 Ps of people, planet, prosperity, partnership and peace.

She also said UN Habitat was ready to support Botswana in implementing a sustainable, inclusive and green economic growth that needed to be accompanied by a reduction of inequalities and protection of human rights.

Ms Sharif also said urbanisation had become a mega-trend in Africa and that the battle for sustainable development would be won or lost in cities.

She noted that Botswana was experiencing rapid urbanisation with an urban population increase of 2.78 per cent annually, adding by 2050, 82 per cent of Botswana’s population would be living in urban settings.

For his part, the United Nations resident coordinator, Mr Zia Choudhury thanked Botswana for commitment to partner with the UN and anyone who believed that all people had a right to live in dignity .

He said countries had been knocked off track by COVID-19 and that with renewed focus, they would bring things back on track. 

He said the pandemic had shown how solidarity between nations, governments and communities could lead to innovation and positive change.

Mr Choudhury noted that the forum was intended to get a diverse group of people into a room and to learn more about development issues and opportunities from each other. Ends