27 Oct 2025

Acting President, also Minister of Finance, Ndaba Gaolathe says Sustainable Development in Botswana is not an imported idea, but part of the Botswana story, vision and National Development Plan 12.

Speaking at the UN 10km Walk and Run to mark the UN 80th anniversary in Gaborone on Saturday, Mr Gaolathe said Botswana’s, sustainable development aligned directly with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ensuring that every national effort reflected the people’s aspirations for prosperity, equality and resilience.

He said Botswana’s progress as a nation demonstrated what persistence could achieve.

“The proportion of Batswana now living below the poverty line has dropped. Primary cchool enrolment remains above 95 per cent. Women now occupy nearly half of senior positions in the public service, showing that empowerment is a driver of better governance,” he added.

He said through the Botswana Economic Transformation Program (BETP) government was creating an economy that could generate jobs and add value to communities, guided by a vision to create the best governed country in the African continent.

He said that UN and Botswana joint initiatives strengthened livelihoods with over P440 million, stating that through such initiatives access to education had been expanded and that empowerment of women and youth was also being realised.

Mr Gaolathe said through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development government and the UN had worked together to improve lives and build capacity.

He said development thrived where partnerships were real, inclusive and focused on impact, hence government was deepening its collaboration with the UN, the private sector and the civil society for the good of communities across he nation.

In her remarks, UN Resident Coordinator Ms Wenyan Yang said the Walk and Run for the SDGs was symbolic of the UN vision of a world united in peace, dignity and prosperity.

Ms Yang said they were reminded that achieving the SDGs was not a sprint but a marathon of collective effort. She said each step represented their shared journey towards ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring that no one was left behind.

She also said the presence of Mr Gaolathe underscored the government’s commitment to partnership and multilateralism. She further said the UN’s engagement in Botswana spanned a wide range of sectors; from urban planning, environmental resilience and public health, to refugee support, child welfare, youth empowerment and governance.

She also said as they marked the 80th anniversary of the UN, they also looked ahead to the Summit of the Future in 2026 and to the Decade of Action, the global call to accelerate solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges by 2030. ENDS