Maravi

UN urges govt to make economic development a right

UN urges govt to make economic development a right
By Florence Bupe in Chama
Wed 30 June 2010, 04:01 CAT

UNITED Nations resident coordinator Macleod Nyirongo has urged the government to adopt citizens’ economic and social development as a human right and not a privilege. Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Chama district commissioner Cindy Mpundu at her office on Monday, Nyirongo said all people had the right to development.

“The approach to development should be a human rights approach. People have the right to develop, including those in rural areas,” he said.

Nyirongo observed that many rural populations were striving to develop through their hard work, and there was a need for the government to supplement the communities’ efforts.

He said efforts aimed at alleviating poverty were hampered by the lack of resources, and assured that the United Nations would continue partnering with the government to avail resources in the context of accountability.

“You need enormous resources to achieve the 2015 MDGs, and we will work with government to make resources available for development.

And during the visit, Mpundu disclosed that the government had secured funds for the rehabilitation of the Chipata-Lundazi road, which was currently in a dilapidated state.

Mpundu said all the tender procedures had been completed and the contractor would move on site by July.

“I would like to assure you that government has already secured funds for the rehabilitation of the Chipata- Lundazi road all the way to Muyombe. By next month, works on the road will commence,” she said.

And speaking during the official opening of the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at Local Level (AMICAAL) workshop, Nyirongo urged the government to mainstream HIV/ AIDS programmes at local authority level.

He observed that HIV infections had continued to be one of the major threats to the survival of Zambians in particular, and Africans in general.

“There are no quick fix prescriptions in the HIV and AIDS response be it at local or national level. Instead, it is a long-term fight which requires determination, perseverance, focus and commitment with lessons learnt from consultative and participatory processes taking the underlying cultural and traditional values and norms of Zambia into account,” he said.

He said in this case, traditional leaders had a critical role to play in sensitising communities and enhancing service delivery through education.

Nyirongo pledged the United Nations’ continued support towards efforts aimed at strengthening local government institutions in the country.

“The UN will continue to support the empowerment of local authorities through capacity building in a context of full accountability to their communities and the central government,” he said.

And Chama District Council chairperson George Mhlanga lamented the limited access to HIV/AIDS treatment services in the district.

He said the district had not been spared from the wrath of the scourge as indicated through the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children.

Labels: DEVELOPMENT, MACLEOD NYIRONGO

posted by MrK @ 6:01 AM