Zambia is behind in meeting MDG on water - Chitumbo
By Sakabilo Kalembwe
Thu 22 Mar. 2012, 12:57 CAT
ZAMBIA is lagging behind in terms of meeting the Millenium Development Goal on sanitation, says National Water and Sanitation Council director Kelvin Chitumbo.
Speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Chitumbo said although enough progress has been made in terms of achieving the goal on water, the country is behind in achieving the goal on sanitation.
"We as country have made progress in terms of achieving the water goal, but sanitation still remains a challenge," he said.
He said there were still challenges in meeting the goal especially in urban areas.
"We have achieved up to 98 per cent of the water required for the urban population, but the bigger challenge still remains for the achieve good sanitation which at the moment only remains at 40 per cent," he said.
Chitumbo also noted that climate change and human activities also has a negative impact on the water sources.
"The quantity of water has deteriorated due to climate change, but also their human activities like that make the accessibity to clean drinking water water a problem," he said.
"It is more expensive to treat water now due to some careless mining activities and this leads to water problems," said Chitundu.
And Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Akio Egawa speaking at Zambia-Germany-Japan Friendship Football Tournament held in commemoration of the Water World Day said that the event was not just a football tournament.
"It is an event to promote youth development through sports, in particular, football. It is also aimed at promoting health and hygiene among the youths through sensitisation on safe water and sanitation," he said.
Ambassador Egawa said safe water and sanitation are both basic requirements for human resource development, and hence, economic and social development of any country.
"I recall in February last year, JICA and GIZ signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in their assistance to the water and sanitation sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Both Japan and Germany have vast experience in this sector, and the two organisations are now strengthening their cooperation on the basis of the MoU," he said.
Ambassador Egawa said the event is part of such collaborative efforts by JICA and GIZ.
"Indeed this a shining example of the tripartite partnership between Japan, Germany and Zambia.
Japan on her part has made many contributions in the area of water supply and sanitation in Zambia, as they are one of the focus areas of Japanese development assistance to Zambia," he said
Ambassador Egawa said over the years, the government of Japan has been supporting water and sanitation improvement efforts by the Government of Zambia with particular focus on rural water supply.
"Since 1985, more than 1,000 deep boreholes with hand pumps have been installed by Japan throughout the country except in the Eastern Province and the North Western Province. I am aware that in recent years the government of Germany has been rendering support to water supply in these two provinces. Both Japan and Germany have therefore complemented each others' efforts in this regard," said Ambassador Egawa.
Meanwhile Germany's Ambassador to Zambia Frank Meyke said despite the two to four litres of water people drink daily, most of the water consumed is embedded in the food people eat.
"It takes 15,000 litres of water to produce one kilogramme of beef," he said.
Ambassador Meyke said besides providing safe water, water resources management is becoming even more important for socio-economic and agricultural sectors.
Labels: MDGs, WATER
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Zambia going backwards on health MDG, says Luo
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 19 July 2011, 14:00 CAT
PROFESSOR Nkandu Luo says Zambia is going backwards regarding the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) on health. In an interview yesterday, Prof Luo said her understanding of improvement in health was not about being able to provide drugs but reducing the disease burden in the country.
“There are particular things which should be visible. For example, the nutrition of people should be one of the important parameters that should be used in measuring the progress and if you travel round Zambia, you find that a lot of people are malnourished. Zambia is one of the countries with the highest levels of malnutrition and these days we even see a lot of adult malnutrition. So I don’t know what is improving in Zambia when now we even have adult malnutrition,” Prof Luo said.
Prof Luo said even the distances that people are required to cover to access health services were too long.
“At the moment Zambia is going through a crisis with regards to alcohol abuse, really I don't know what we are talking about. Gender equality, Zambia is very far from attaining gender equality. Zambia is very far from achieving the requirements for reproductive health because if you look at the parameters, we have some of the highest maternal and child deaths in the country. I personally do not agree that Zambia is doing well in terms of the MDGs on health,” said Prof Luo.
Labels: HEALTHCARE, MDGs, NKANDU LUO
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COMMENT - First the minister said that there will be no significant dent made on poverty for another 30 years. Now the minister says that 'in the next 5-10 years', 'some will make it' and 'some won't'. Show me 1 (one) single case in which the WB's policies pulled any population out of poverty. Or where foreign investment did the same. It hasn't worked, and now they are saying 'give it more time'. We are wasting both time and money. Over $20 billion in profits that should have gone to the state since 2004, have now gone to the owners of First Quantum, Equinox, Vedanta, etc. Musokotwane's advice: let's wait and see.
Musokotwane urges debt sustainability analysis
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sat 16 July 2011, 14:00 CAT
THE lower middle income status puts Zambia at a risk of falling into another unsustainable debt position if there is no prudent borrowing, says finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane.
The
World Bank has reclassified Zambia as a middle-income country on account of
increasing copper output coupled with
favourable international metal prices and
increasing donor aid to the country.
Zambia, with an average gross domestic product of US $1,200 per person was ranked 27th among the 63 countries which the World Bank has reclassified as middle-income countries since the year 2000 while economically-diversified Ghana, whose GDP per capita, according to CIA, is about capita US $1600 trailed Zambia at 28th on the same list.
Dr Musokotwane said the graduation of Zambia from category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) would aid the country to borrow more for expenditure to make a dent on the huge infrastructure bottlenecks in the country.
He said there was need for proper assessment and prudence in contracting new loans to avoid the risk of falling into another debt trap like the about US $7 billion foreign debt which shackled Zambia until it was liquidated in 2005 via painful fiscal austerity measures.
With Zambia’s graduation to lower medium term status, the country’s ability to borrow from the soft-loan window of key multilateral lending institutions would be limited.
“That is risk is there. The most important thing for the government is to make sure that even when we can now borrow on commercial (basis), we do it prudently,” Dr Musokotwane told journalists yesterday.
“Before any new loan is obtained, we do a debt sustainability analysis – ‘can we sustain this debt with this extra new loan we are acquiring?’ If the answer is yes, you borrow. If no, you don’t. Sometimes people are alarmed to say we are borrowing so much, the ability of the poor man to borrow and that of a rich man are completely different. As our economy expands, the capacity of the economy to borrow has also improved. In certain cases, you need to make this borrowing for the growth to continue.”
Dr Musokotwane said Zambia would still access cheap sources of finances from the concessional windows, although the facilities would be reduced.
“With what we are now, we are a hybrid – which means we still get concessional financing but you can also now begin to access non-concessional financing which is much more available,” he said.
“However, concessional financing is limited because people don’t want to give handouts. The only money available from the World Bank to us, it is no less that US $70 million per annum which is very small amount.”
The current regime has in the last few months exhibited increased expenditure on fiscal projects and programmes outside the budget estimates.
Unplanned expenditure such as the US $53 million expenditure on procurement of mobile hospitals from China and the current populist expenditure on urban roads especially in opposition strongholds, according to analysts, would compromise the government debt sustainability programme.
Dr Musokotwane also admitted that poverty levels in the country still remained high despite Zambia’s positive macroeconomic credentials. He said World Bank rating would help the country to attract more foreign investments to aid economic growth to make a dent on poverty reduction efforts.
“With the up-scaling like this, people will have been pulled out of poverty. Yes, there are others who have remained behind but there are many others who have pulled out of poverty,” Dr Musokotwane said.
“The economy must grow. Let’s continue to open ourselves that more investors are coming. If we continue on this growth process, certainly in the next 5 to 10 years, this country should show a remarkable progress in the fight against poverty. With this upgrading of our income status, we are going to see more investors coming to our country and therefore the growth is going to be sustained. As you become healthier, donor assistance to Zambia is going to come down. This is good for us because any self-respecting person does not want to become a beggar forever.”
According to World Bank ratings, countries with GDP per capita of less than US $1,005 are LDCs while those of between US $1,006 to US $3,975 are in lower middle income group.
Upper middle income groups are those countries with GDP per capita of between US $3,976 per person to US $12,275 per person while countries with above US $12,276 are classified as high income country.
At independence in 1964, Zambia was classified a middle income country before the erosion of the country’s key economic base – copper mining through maladministration and low international copper prices degenerated the country into the LDC category.
Labels: INFRASTRUCTURE, MDGs, NEOLIBERALISM, POVERTY, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, World Bank
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Nothing exciting about ‘middle income’ tag - Mucheleka
By Bright Mukwasa and Gift Chanda
Fri 15 July 2011, 11:40 CAT
THERE is nothing exciting about the re-classification of Zambia as a middle income country, says Civil Society for Poverty Reduction executive director Patrick Mucheleka.
And International Labour Organisation (ILO) officer-in-charge Jealous Chirove says Zambia still has a long way to go in achieving the 2030 vision especially with the prevailing uneven income distribution patterns despite it being elevated to the middle income status.
But President Rupiah says the decision by the World Bank to reclassify Zambia as a middle income country is the latest in a long line of economic achievements which are directly impacting the people of Zambia.
Commenting on the report by the World Bank, Mucheleka said the re-classification amounts to nothing as poverty levels in rural areas remained high.
“You can celebrate if poverty levels are going down, but what does that mean to people in the villages? We would like the World Bank to tell us by how much has poverty reduced,” Mucheleka said.
“We should be talking about equity distribution of wealth and proper funding of the agriculture, education and health sectors which have been neglected going the levels budgetary allocation.”
He said the government must stop the corruption that had prevailed in the social sectors which were crucial to the reduction of poverty as cited by the Auditor General’s report.
“The money that we are raising from the mines is very little. Is the money from the mines remaining in the country to help us fight poverty? The answer is no. And most of our capital projects are funded by the donors,” he said.
Mucheleka said the announcement by the World Bank was just mere statistics with nothing to show on the ground as far as poverty levels in Zambia were concerned.
And during a high level forum on investment and employment in Zambia held in Lusaka yesterday, Chirove said Zambia still had a challenge to ensure even distribution of income.
Chirove said in spite of the recent “relatively strong economic growth” the country had recorded, poverty levels remained unsustainable high at over 64 per cent.
“...however, we all agree it is still some way to go before we achieve the vision 2030 goal, especially in view of the prevailing distribution patterns,” said Chirove.
In last week’s World Bank annual assessment of poor countries, Zambia was the 27th country to be re-classified since the year 2000 as a middle income country – ahead of Ghana at 28.
The report states that the number of children in primary school has climbed along with literacy rates, and infant mortality has fallen in both in Zambia and Ghana.
“New middle-income countries this year include Ghana and Zambia. Lower middle-income countries are those with per-capita GNI’s of between $1,006 and $3,975 per year. Upper middle-income countries are those with per-capita GNI’s between $3,976 and $12, 275,” the report states.
And in a statement issued by special assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere, President Banda said his government had been working tirelessly to deliver economic prosperity to all Zambians by providing more education and employment opportunities and encouraging international investment in the country.
“This decision is the latest in a long line of economic achievements which are directly impacting the people of Zambia. Our economy is delivering growth of more than seven percent despite continued recession in many parts of the world, thanks to sound government policies, and it is good that this is being recognised again on the world stage,” President Banda said.
“I now want to lock-in the stability that our new status brings; I want all Zambians to start feeling the benefits of better salaries and a better standard of living.”
He said the government was also in the process of establishing multi-facility economic zones and industrial parks to promote the manufacturing sector.
“…Having a stable economy which will yield jobs and increase foreign investment, erode poverty and maintain steady food production and lower prices is critical, and my government will continue to work hard to achieve this on behalf of all the Zambian people,” said President Banda.
Labels: ILO, IMF, MDGs, PATRICK MUCHELEKA, World Bank
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UN notes Zambia’s progress on MDGs
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Fri 08 July 2011, 15:20 CAT
ZAMBIA has recorded many successes in its efforts to achieve its national millennium development goals, says the United Nations. The UN yesterday launched the global MDG progress report for 2011 in Geneva, and concurrently around the world, to raise awareness on the progress this far and further acceleration required to achieve the MDGs by 2015.
UN resident coordinator Kanni Wignaraja said Zambia had shared many successes, particularly in its efforts to improve primary education and health.
Wignaraja said in order to move to the next level of progress and to sustain gains made possible through sustained economic growth, there was need to look to further human development investments in agriculture that would yield decent jobs.
She said both net enrolment and the number of pupils reaching grade seven had grown steadily over the past few years and the targets of secondary school completion and quality must now be the focus.
Wignaraja said successes had also been seen in Zambia’s fight against HIV and AIDS, and with prevalence rates now at 14.3 per cent of the population, the country had surpassed its MDG target in this area.
“This, however, leaves no room for complacency, with much work remaining particularly in addressing the root causes of HIV which sustain high levels of vulnerability in sectors of the population with new infections, on average 200 people per month,” she said.
Wignaraja noted that the prevalence of underweight children had fallen to 14.6 per cent, not far from the 2015 goal of 12.5 per cent.
“The global report provides evidence and pointers to reducing maternal mortality and child and infant mortality rates, that are still some distance away, per the national data here in Zambia,” Wignaraja said.
She said women giving birth in Zambia remain at high risk, with a maternal mortality rate of 591 per 100,000 live births.
Wignaraja said the MDG goal to be realized in four years was 162 per 100,000 live births.
She said the global report showed that progress on the MDGs had been uneven and the overall gains mask local specific disparities in most countries.
Wignaraja said in sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest urban households were 12 times less likely than their richest neighbours to have access to piped drinking water supply.
“Similarly, in rural areas, children are twice as likely to be underweight as their urban cousins. Countries in, or emerging from, conflict, are likely to lag 40 to 60 per cent behind other low and middle-income countries in achieving most of the goals,” she said.
She said to accelerate and sustain the required rate of poverty reduction in Zambia, the application of a broad based job creation effort, particularly in rural areas was key.
Wignaraja further noted that expanding education and business opportunities for women and closing the gender gap in decision-making positions would also go a long way to ensure a more gender balanced progress on the MDGs for Zambia.
Moving forward, the UN report noted the importance of focusing on equity and inclusion in the reach and acceleration towards the MDGs in the coming four years, and beyond.
Wignaraja said for countries like Zambia, this meant that the poorest and most marginalised groups often in rural settings were made the focus of policy choices, and national development investments and programmes.
The UN launched a number of major partnerships and initiatives, such as Countdown to Zero, a global plan toward the elimination of new HIV infections among children; UN-Redd to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable livelihoods and scaling up nutrition; global strategy for women’s and children’s health, among many others.
Labels: KANNI WIGNARAJA, MDGs, UN
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Minimum wage threatens MDG on poverty - Caritas
By Moses Kuwema and Agness Changala
Thu 17 Feb. 2011, 03:59 CAT
IT will be quite tough for Zambia to achieve the Mille-nnium Development Goals on poverty with the set minimum wage of K419,000, says Caritas Zambia. And Zambia Congress of Trade Unions secretary general Roy Mwaba says the government needs to strengthen the enforcement of labour laws in the country.
In an interview, Caritas Zambia unit head for development Martin Sampa said despite the increase of the minimum wage from K268,000 to the current K419,000, a good number of citizens in the country were still living below the poverty datum line.
“As Caritas Zambia, we would like to acknowledge that the raising of the minimum wage from K268,000, initially, to K419,000 by government, is, in itself a positive step. However, given the rising cost of living as shown by the JCTR Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection basic needs basket for the month of January, 2011, which stands at about K2,000,000, for a family of six in Lusaka, the increase is not sufficient enough,” Sampa said.
He said this was also viewed in light of the fact that people had a lot of financial needs, like paying rentals, school fees, food, settling bills, besides meeting the cost for medicals and transport.
Sampa said the government should tie the minimum wage issue to the JCTR’s basic needs basket.
“The BNB portrays a thorough picture in terms of highlighting the financial requirements for decency in people’s lives. Additionally, it should be ensured that the minimum wage should be applicable to all, especially, those working under informal arrangements and have a weak bargaining power such as domestic workers,” said Sampa.
And Mwaba said the labour movement was also disappointment that good recommendations it made to Parliament on labour matters in the country have not been taken on board.
Mwaba said there was need for the government, civil society organisations, the church and all concerned citizens to sit together and find a way to lobby the government to improve people’s work environment.
And Mwaba said the labour disputes that the country is currently experiencing are worrisome.
“Our expectations and anticipation in this particular area is that everyone should concentrate on ensuring that Zambia runs a free independent tripartite election,” he said.
Mwaba said positive dialogue and not just meetings for the sake of lip service is important if the country is to bring to an end such problems.
Labels: MDGs, MINIMUM WAGE
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‘Imprudent use of donor funds will affect Zambia’s MDG on health’
By Chibaula Silwamba
Fri 05 Nov. 2010, 08:50 CAT
THE imprudent use of donor funds meant for fighting malaria and HIV and AIDS will lead to Zambia not reaching the MDG on health, Parliamentary committee on health chairperson Jean Kapata yesterday warned.
Concurring with the UN Secretary General’s special envoy for malaria Ray Chambers’ call for prudent use of donor funds meant to combat malaria which is the leading cause of mortality in Zambia, Kapata, who is Mandevu parliamentarian, said the government should wake up and use the money properly.
“If the donors stop giving us money, it’s not the people in government who are going to suffer, it’s people on the grassroots who are going to suffer, our people, our voters. It’s people like those in my constituency in Mandevu who are going to be affected who do not have malaria drugs,” Kapata said.
“Malaria is one of the diseases that have been cited under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) number six and if we have such a situation it means that the achievement of that MDG is a non-starter.”
Kapata said donors had the right to question the Zambian government’s use of their money.
“The donors would like to see their money being used for the right cause. Currently, the government is not using donors’ money correctly,” said Kapata.
Chambers said the irregularities in the use of donor funds at the Ministry of Health were unfortunate.
“These are special funds generously donated to the Global Fund and World Bank by nations throughout the world. Public servants have an obligation, not just to donor nations, but to Zambians that funds are properly used. It’s an integrity duty of the highest moral requirement to ensure that those funds are taken care of and not abused,” said Chambers on Tuesday ahead of his two-day visit to Zambia, scheduled for yesterday, to meet government officials.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DONORS, JEAN KAPATA, MDGs
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‘Zambia’s economic growth not enough to eradicate poverty by 2015’
By Staff Reporter
Sat 30 Oct. 2010, 03:59 CAT
ZAMBIA’S current economic growth is not sufficient to eradicate extreme poverty by 2015, a recent update on the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has indicated.
Analysing Zambia’s progress towards the attainment of the MDGs by 2015, the
UN country team stated that macro-economic and structural policies that promote employment, economic inclusion, empowerment and social investment were essential in reducing poverty.
“Extreme poverty declined from 58 per cent in 1991 to 51 per cent in 2006, improving towards the target of 29 per cent. However, extreme poverty is still higher in rural areas at 67 per cent compared to 20 per cent in urban areas. On the target to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger, the prevalence of underweight children declined from 22 per cent in 1991 to 14.6 per cent in 2007, while the target is 11 per cent,” the UN stated.
The UN further noted that net enrolment of children in primary education had increased from 80 per cent in 1990 to 101.4 per cent in 2009, supported by increased construction of schools, the removal of school fees in 2002 and free basic education and re-entry policies.
“The primary education target is thus attainable, as the objective is 100 per cent. The main challenges at present are adult literacy, which declined from 79 per cent in 1990 to 70 per cent in 2004 and the 17.4 per cent completion rate of girls in secondary school in 2009,” they stated.
The report further noted that important progress had been attained in malaria, under the MDG 6 which is to combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases, as the proportion of children under five who sleep under an insecticide-treated net soared from 6.5 per cent in 2001-2002 to 41.1 per cent in 2008.
Labels: MDGs, NEOLIBERALISM, POVERTY
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WHO urges Zambia to allocate adequate resurces to health
By Agness Changala
Wed 27 Oct. 2010, 04:01 CAT
WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) African regional director Dr Luis Sambo has said Zambia’s dependency on external resources to the health sector is not sustainable.
In an interview over Zambia’s health sector, Dr Sambo has urged the government to allocate adequate resources to the health sector and acknowledged that while there were still a lot of challenges in the country’s health sector some progress had been made. He, however, noted that some slow improvements being made.
“This is what I should share with the government and all Zambians that a lot still needs to be done but we recognise the progress made so far,” Dr Sambo said.
He also urged cooperating partners to resume funding to the health sector.
Dr Sambo said withholding funds had impacted negatively on the health programmes in Zambia.
Donors to the health sector withheld funding after revelations of rampant abuse and theft of resources at the Ministry of Health.
And later during the launch of 2010 National Protocol Guidelines in Chongwe on Monday, Dr Sambo said although Zambia had made great strides towards the attainment of some Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a lot still needed to be done in the next five years.
He said the key to attaining MDG four, which focuses on reducing infant mortality, was by reaching every newly-born baby and children with a set of priority interventions.
“These include appropriate breastfeeding practices, prevention of vaccine preventable diseases through immunisation and prevention and management of common childhood illness such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition and HIV infection,” he said.
Dr Sambo said the vast majority of maternal deaths could be averted if every woman had access to proven and cost effective interventions that existed to reduce maternal mortality.
He said the launch of the guidelines marked a great milestone in the joint efforts at achieving the MDGs 4, 5 and 6 which aimed to reduce child and maternal mortalities and reverse the incidence of HIV and AIDS.
Dr Sambo said WHO would continue to work with the government and all partners including the research and academic communities to promote the implementation of evidence based interventions not only to improve maternal health but eliminate paediatric HIV transmission in Zambia, Africa and the world at large.
Labels: HEALTHCARE, LUIS SAMBO, MDGs, WHO
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Govt claim of middle income country status is insensitive – Kasanga
By Fridah Zinyama
Mon 18 Oct. 2010, 18:50 CAT
GOVERNMENT’S revelation that Zambia will soon become a middle income country are insensitive as 70 per cent of the country’s population still live in abject poverty, a local economist has charged.
John Kasanga said
it was surprising that finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane told Parliament during the presentation of the 2011 budget that Zambia would in the next few years attain a middle income status when the country still ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world.
“Government should deal with the real issues of making the economy meaningful to its populous,” he said. “It’s not just a matter of saying that Zambia will become a middle income country...has the economy worked on reducing poverty for its people?”
And Kasanga said although the budget had a number of attractive fiscal features in it, it was overly dependent on Pay As You Earn (PAYE), adding that tax exemptions for constitutional office holders should be removed.
“Government’s over-dependence on PAYE is not good; it shows that government has failed to broaden the tax base,” he said. “I think that constitutional office holders should be made to pay tax also so that they contribute to the country’s coffers... Maybe it’s because they do not pay tax that they depend on it too much,” he said.
Kasanga further asked government to clearly explain whether the reduction in donor support was deliberate or not.
“Giving this explanation will help the public to understand whether Zambia is able to support most of its budget without much assistance from donors or not,” he said. “We are asking for an explanation because a reduction in donor support means government will have to find an alternative source of revenue...”
Kasanga further said ordinary people in business would be starved of finances if government sourced for the additional funds locally because the banking sector would concentrate on transacting with the government at the expense of the private sector.
“If the funds are to be sourced internationally, there are concerns of the public debt increasing,” he said.
Kasanga said the issue of the reduction in donor support would have to be explained to the public, as the implications on the economy were enormous. He further observed that government had made huge commitments to infrastructure development in next year’s budget.
“This move is not realistic as it will put too much pressure on government to source for funds to undertake these projects,” he observed. “This move also sends a message to the public that the infrastructure projects are meant to please the electorate next year.”
Kasanga said much as government intended to spend a lot of resources on infrastructure, the Mid Term Expenditure Framework did not include how government would maintain those structures after they were built.
“Is government going to train more doctors, nurses, teachers to meet increased demand in services once those structures are completed?” asked Kasanga.
Labels: 2011 BUDGET, DOMESTIC DEBT, JOHN KASANGA, MDGs, MINING, TAXATION
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Zambia can achieve MDGs,
By Simon Mutuna in Mansa
Sun 17 Oct. 2010, 02:10 CAT
JAZZMAN Chikwakwa has said that it is possible for Zambia to contribute towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
During the commemoration of the 2010 Civil Society Day in Mansa on Friday, Chikwakwa, who is
Luapula Province permanent secretary, said the government was committed to reducing poverty and had put in place a number of programmes aimed at reducing poverty.
He said the government had embarked on activities in the province such as promotion of tourism, mining and agriculture as a way of creating wealth for the people.
Chikwakwa said the economic empowerment fund was another way of empowering Zambians and at the moment about K500 million had so far been distributed in the province.
He urged the people of Luapula to take advantage of such programmes and develop the province and reduce the levels of poverty.
[Sorry, not good enough. You don't 'urge' people to use programs. You actually pull up your sleaves, get together with the people, and ask them what they need. Then, you make that happen. No more 'urging', no more 'calling for' - you're in power, and you have budgets and departments at your disposal. MrK]
He said the poverty levels in the province stood at 73 per cent while the extreme poor people was at 61 per cent.
Chikwakwa said according to 2009 progress report for MDGs, targets on hunger, universal primary education, maternal health and HIV/AIDS and gender equality were likely to be achieved by half by 2015.
And Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) chairperson Yvonne Besa said poverty had continued to ravage most of the people in the province despite all the efforts made by all the players including the government and the civil society organisations.
Labels: JAZZMAN CHIKWAKWA, MDGs, POVERTY, YVONNE BESA
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UN coordinator urges accelerated economic diversification
By Florence Bupe
Tue 05 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT
UNITED Nations resident coordinator Kanni Wignaraja has advised government to accelerate efforts towards economic diversification as a means of achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGS).
In her statement on the progress of Zambia’s achievement of the MDGs, Wignaraja said there is a need to accelerate and focus on development challenges facing the country, such as the diversification of the economy.
“Overall, Zambia’s progress towards the MDGs is commendable. However, increased action is urgently needed to scale up the attainment of the MDGs by 2015,” Wignaraja said.
“Greater efforts will be needed to further enhance environmental sustainability, reduce further maternal mortality and address gender inequalities.”
Wignaraja also called on government and other stakeholders to seriously identify ways of averting the negative effects of climate change.
She observed that the country’s key economic sectors such as agriculture and tourism were largely affected by the climate and that reluctance to tackle climate change would have disastrous effects on the growth of the economy.
“In Zambia, any change in the climate can spell disaster. With over 70 per cent of Zambians depending on agriculture, even a slight change in temperature can affect crops like maize with catastrophic consequences for livelihoods,” said Wignaraja.
“Climate change has also begun to affect Zambia’s national tourism industry.”
And foreign affairs minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa observed that cooperating partners were an integral part in the achievement of MDGs through enhanced economic growth.
“The positive economic growth that Zambia continues to enjoy has been made possible with the support of our cooperating partners…,” said Dr Mwansa.
Labels: ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION, KALOMBO MWANSA, KANNI WIGNARAJA, MDGs
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Let’s be serious about MDGs
By The Post
Sun 03 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT
The revelations by Mark Mushili, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) advocate in the Zambian Parliament, are very worrying. Mushili says we are far away, as a country, from meeting the MDG on poverty reduction and he doesn’t foresee that being achieved by the year 2015.
Mushili also bemoaned that Zambia’s representation at international fora on MDGs has remained irregular because of the uncoordinated manner in which the country is monitoring the progress on the MDGs. He also observed that poverty levels were still very high in Zambia. He reminded the nation that during the meeting that they had in Abuja, one of their resolutions was that they must kick out poverty at all costs and they unanimously accepted that there must not be any excuse whatsoever not to meet the MDGs, particularly the one on poverty reduction, by the year 2015.
But 10 years on from the original adoption of the MDGs at the 2000 millennium summit, we are still falling short in our achievement. The consequence of these shortfalls is that improvements in the lives of the poorest of our people are happening at an unacceptably slow pace and in some cases, hard-fought gains are being eroded. At our current pace, several of the eight MDGs and associated targets are likely to be missed.
Clearly, if we are to achieve the MDGs by 2015, not only must the level of financial investments be increased but innovative programmes and policies aimed at overall development and economic and social transformation must be rapidly scaled up and replicated. The MDGs are achievable, but there is clearly an urgent need to address challenges, acknowledge failures and try to overcome the obstacles to their achievement. This will certainly require the embracing of pioneering ideas and political will on the part of our government and our co-operating partners.
And we shouldn’t forget that the MDGs incorporate key goals and targets of the broader development agenda, agreed upon by world leaders and other stakeholders at different UN summits and conferences. Thus, the MDGs are not about extreme poverty only, but also include goals and targets for education, maternal health, child mortality, public health, environmental sustainability and biodiversity.
Extreme poverty is the most challenging issue facing our people today. It mocks our government’s claim to development and progress when men, women and children are still starving, continue to be vulnerable to HIV-infection, are forced to subsist in degraded environments, or are unable to exercise the most basic of their human rights. There are people in our country who each day cannot meet the basic needs necessary for a decent human life. It is a strict duty of justice and truth not to allow fundamental needs to remain unsatisfied. Economic and social justice requires that each individual has adequate resources to survive, to develop and thrive.
We must strengthen our collective resolve to confront the social inequalities that lock all too many of our people into poverty. If we set our priorities right and stand by them and our co-operating partners stand by their commitments, this poverty can be eradicated from the face of our country. We have to do something and produce more effective results because time is running out. Yes, we may not be receiving the aid we require. But aid is a catalyst, not a cure. No country has ever been transformed by aid alone. That is why it is also important that we take charge of our own development. This means mobilising domestic policies and resources to support the MDGs. It also means being fully accountable for development results, for the management of aid as well as domestic budgets and being totally transparent. And this is why our co-operating partners and many citizens of goodwill are extremely worried about our government’s attitude towards corruption. Those in charge of our government are today not only defending corruption and corrupt elements and helping them to go scot-free and keep their loot, but they are also devising laws that totally undermine accountability and honesty in public service. Their scheme to remove abuse of office from the Anti Corruption Commission Act will result in increased levels of corruption and diversion of public resources from MDGs.
We should all share the responsibility for ensuring success. Just as donors should be held accountable, we should also make sure that our own political leaders should also be accountable for the results they achieve. We owe this to all our people fighting to survive on less than a dollar a day or those who are simply living on the sun. We must act now to make MDGs a reality in our country by 2015. The existence of such large numbers of poor, hungry and under-nourished people constitutes an affront to all of us. A stable, permanent solution must be found to these serious problems.
As Mushili has correctly pointed out, the painful truth is that, despite the goals to eradicate it, poverty persists and tends to grow in our country. Hunger, poverty, disease, ignorance, unemployment, lack of opportunity, insecurity, inequality, hopelessness are the terms that could well define the living conditions of a great part of our country’s population.
The economic and social injustice implied in the gap between the living conditions of the highest strata in our country and the humble and poor masses of the great majority of our people is an affront to our collective conscience. It is an imperative need of our times to be aware of these realities, because of what a situation affecting the great majority of our people entails in terms of human suffering and the squandering of life and intelligence. The uneven income distribution in our country still subjects to unjust and discriminatory social relations the great majority of our people and indicates the need for deep essential changes in our political and social structures which will guarantee the broad majority of our people access to the benefits of every development policy. It is very dangerous to allow these inequalities to continue like this because underlying this reality is the fact that as citizens of this country, we are all passengers on the same vessel – this country where we all live. But the passengers on this vessel are travelling in very different conditions.
A trifling minority is travelling in luxurious cabins furnished with Internet, cellphones and access to global communication networks. They enjoy a nutritional, abundant and balanced diet as well as clean water supplies from boreholes and other council facilities. They have access to sophisticated medical care.
The overwhelming and suffering majority is travelling in conditions that are not even fit for swines. That is, over 70 per cent of the passengers on this vessel are crowded together in its dirty hold, suffering hunger, disease and helplessness.
Obviously, this vessel is carrying too much injustice to remain afloat, pursuing such an irrational and senseless route. It is our duty to take our rightful place at the helm and ensure that all passengers can travel in conditions of solidarity, equity and justice. We know that our country is too poor to give all our people great material wealth, but we can give them a sense of equality, of human dignity. And that is something worth fighting for.
Labels: MARK MUSHILI, MDGs
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Zambia is miles away from MDG on poverty – Mushili
By Mwala Kalaluka
Sun 03 Oct. 2010, 04:01 CAT
THE Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) advocate in the Zambian Parliament, Mark Mushili, yesterday said the country is still miles away from achieving the MDG goal on poverty reduction by 2015.
And Mushili said Zambia's representation at international fora on MDGs has remained irregular because of the uncoordinated manner in which the country is monitoring progress on MDGs. Commenting on the just-ended UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) held in New York, Mushili, who is also Ndola Central PF member of parliament, said poverty levels were still very high in Zambia.
“Where are we as a country?” Mushili asked. “During the meeting that we had in Abuja, one of the resolutions that we had is that we must kick out poverty at all costs. It was unanimously accepted that there must not be any excuse whatsoever not to meet the MDGs, particularly the one on poverty reduction by the year 2015. It (poverty) must be kicked out.”
Mushili said the MDGs advocates in most of Africa’s parliaments agreed during the meeting in Abuja that African countries should do everything possible to reduce poverty to at least half of what it was in the year 2002.
”I think we are far away from meeting the MDG on that one (poverty reduction) as Zambia and I don’t foresee that being achieved by the year 2015,” Mushili said. “We could be talking about the inflation being brought down to one digit but for people in the rural areas and even in the urban areas the poverty is still very high.”
Mushili said currently Zambia did not have the wherewithal to create employment opportunities that would help in the reduction of poverty levels to at least half of what it was in 2002 by 2015.
”I know that sometime back we were somewhere at 30-plus where illiteracy is concerned,” he said. “So we do anticipate that by 2015 we would have brought down that illiteracy by somewhere around 15/16. We have tremendously done very well in the field of education. I can confidently say that we can meet that goal. By the way, I am the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, now just been elected.”
However, Mushili said the quality of education was still a source of concern despite the increased construction of classroom space.
“While we are constructing the classrooms here and there, we are not doing enough to construct staff houses for teachers,” Mushili said.
He noted that the above situation highly de-motivated teachers and that subsequently it would touch on the quality of education being given to the pupils or students.
“That affects, eventually, the quality of education,” Mushili said.
He said he was in the process of forming a Parliamentary Caucus on the MDGs, as was the case in some other African countries.
”There are about three or four countries in Africa which have Parliamentary Committees on the MDGs and in other countries there are caucus committees,” Mushili said. “I was surprised that here in Zambia there is only one person at the Ministry of Finance who is responsible for MDGs. All in all, what I am saying is that there has not been a system, it has been more or less left open that each ministry is going to be responsible for the goal that falls under that ministry. We are lacking coordination; hence even our representation in foreign countries is very irregular.”
Mushili said through the help of the UN System he would soon apply to the National Assembly to allow the formation of the Parliamentary Caucus on MDGs.
“All that is remaining is to officially launch the committee,” said Mushili.
Labels: MARK MUSHILI, MDGs, POVERTY
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President: Speech to UN on MDGs
Posted: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 1:16 am
President Robert Mugabe addresses the Millennium Development Goals Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York, September 21, 2010. Only five years are left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). BELOW is the full transcript of a speech delivered by President Mugabe at a high-level plenary meeting on Millennium Development Goals in New York yesterday.
Your Excellencies, the President of the 65th Session of the General Assembly, Mr Joseph Deiss, and the President of the 64th Session of the General Assembly, Dr Ali Treki, Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Your Excellency, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends.
I wish to thank you, Mr President and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon, for convening this very important meeting.
Co-Chairs, You will recall that we gathered in this august Assembly in the year 2000 and agreed on a set of social and humanitarian deliverables which we appropriately called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
We then set out separately and collectively as member-states to achieve our targets.
We now meet, five years before the target year 2015, to review the state of implementation of those goals, to share experiences, identify obstacles and, possibly, chart a course of accelerated action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Co-Chairs, while there is reason to celebrate the progress attained in some areas, the challenges that remain are serious and many.
The recent economic and financial crises wreaked havoc on our previously confident march towards 2015.
Resources dwindled, priorities had to be re-arranged, and for many of us in the developing world, sources of support were reduced, or even lost completely.
Yet, we remain determined, even in these circumstances, to achieve the MDGs in particular, and other internationally agreed commitments in general.
Co-Chairs, from the onset, Zimbabwe has demonstrated unwavering commitment towards the implementation of the MDGs.
We set up an MDGs steering committee in 2000 to track and report progress on implementation.
We initially prioritised Goals 1 – Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, 3 – Promote gender equality and empower women, and 6 – Combat HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases, which we viewed as critical to the achievement of all the other goals.
Even as our economy suffered from illegal sanctions imposed on the country by our detractors, we continued to deploy and direct much of our own resources towards the achievement of the targets we set for ourselves.
Indeed, we find it very disturbing and regrettable that after we all agreed to work towards the improvement of the lives of our citizens, some countries should deliberately work to negate our efforts in that direction.
I believe that as we sit here today and re-dedicate ourselves to the achievement of the MDGs in the time frame we set ourselves, this noble effort on our part will only reach fruition if all of us walk our talk.
Our MDGs steering committee has produced three reports since its formation. The reports show that we have registered mixed results.
Despite our best efforts, we fell short of our targets because of the illegal and debilitating sanctions imposed on the country, and, consequently, the incidence of poverty in Zimbabwe remains high.
As a result of these punitive measures and despite our turnaround economic plan, the Government of Zimbabwe has been prevented from making a positive difference in the lives of the poor, the hungry, the sick and the destitute among its citizens.
This, Co-Chairs, is regrettable because Zimbabwe has a stable economic and political environment.
We have the resources, and with the right kind of support from the international community, we have the potential to improve the lives of our people.
Co-Chairs, Zimbabwe’s commitment to the education of its people is well-known.
Since independence in 1980 there has been a massive expansion in primary, secondary and tertiary education. A lot of investment has gone into human capital development.
Relevant policies, including the Early Childhood Development Policy, have ensured that net enrolments in schools remain high.
As you may be aware, Mr President, according to recent Unicef reports, Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa.
Co-Chairs, I am also pleased to inform you that Zimbabwe is set to reach the gender parity target in both primary and secondary school enrolment.
The country has also made strides in attaining gender parity in enrolment and completion rates at tertiary education.
We have signed and ratified a number of international and regional gender instruments and promulgated national policies and laws on gender. Nevertheless, we are lagging behind in regard to gender equal participation in decision-making in all sectors by 2015. Women still lag behind.
While there has been a slight increase in the number of women Parliamentarians from 14 percent in 1990-95 to the current target of 30 percent, we are concerned that this is still below the 2005 target of 30 percent.
Co-Chairs, regarding Goal 6, my country has registered significant progress in lowering the HIV and Aids prevalence rate. The estimated prevalence rate in adults aged 15-49 years was 23,7 percent in 2001. This dropped to 18,1 percent in 2005 and declined further to 14,3 percent in 2009.
This decline was achieved despite lack of support from the international community, and at a time when even issues such as HIV and Aids were politicised and mixed with agendas of regime change.
[I wonder why the professional HIV organisations have nothing to say about the politicisation of HIV/AIDS. - MrK]
My Government greatly appreciates the assistance it is now receiving from the Global Fund and other agencies.
We remain concerned about the incidence of HIV and Aids in our country and hope that it will continue to decline significantly as Government strengthens prevention efforts.
Co-Chairs, we are worried about the limited progress we have made in the area of environmental sustainability.
The impact of climate change, as evidenced by recurrent droughts, flooding, unreliable and unpredictable rainfall seasons, has wreaked havoc on the lives of our people, most of whom depend on agriculture for a living.
In addition, efforts by Government to provide clean water, decent sanitation and shelter for both urban and rural dwellers, have suffered as a result of the illegal sanctions imposed by some Western countries.
We applaud those in the international community who have responded to our appeal for assistance to address these urgent challenges.
Co-Chairs, my country remains convinced that the MDG targets are achievable.
What is needed is political commitment, particularly, on the part of developed count- ries.
There is need to ensure that commitments already made are not reduced even in the light of new demands.
Aid delivery and co-ordination mechanisms must not be hampered by political biases and preferences.
Let us keep the promise we made 10 years ago.
Let us all strive to make 2015 a watershed year, a year when poverty, hunger, disease and other ailments which are impediments in life can be completely prevented.
Let us henceforth forge a wide-ranging global partnership to make the world a better place for all its peoples, now and in the future.
I thank you.
Labels: MDGs, ROBERT MUGABE, SANCTIONS, SPEECHES, ZDERA
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Bingu tells UN about Malawi’s progress to achieve MDGs
By Nyasa Times
Published: September 21, 2010
Malawi President Bingu Wa Mutharika has said Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) progress report shows the country is “making continuous progress” in achieving all the goals by 2015.
Mutharika was speaking at a three-day summit of Heads of State and government at United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York to discuss how to reduce extreme poverty and achieve the MDGs.
The high-level meeting of the General Assembly is being held to take stock of the progress so far towards the MDGs – which include slashing poverty, combating disease, fighting hunger, protecting the environment and boosting education – and to determine what else needs to be done to reach the Goals by their target date of 2015.
President Mutharika in his speech monitored by Nyasa Times on YouTube courtesy of MaximsNews Network — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1jURBRp43Y — said “ultimately, the efforts of the Malawi government, the private sector and development partners, civil society will all need to be harnessed to ensure that the progress that has already been made is maintained.”
And UNDP office in Malawi issued a statement on Tuesday which said the country has made tremedous progress in areas such as food security, reduction in child mortality and the spread of HIV/AIDS demonstrating that the MDGs can be achieved the country.
“Based on such success, governemnt simply has to continue to prioritize MDGs and donors are honour bound to meet their promises and deliver on aid”, says UNDP Resident Representative Richard Dictus.
“For those living in poverty, the MDGs have never been abstract or inspirational targets. They are a gateway to a better life- MDGs are about every one having a few square meals a day, women choosing to have children and babies born in safety; they are about boys and girls going to school and getting a quality education.
“MDGs are about women’s political and economic empowerment; about poverty reduction; HIV and human diginity; they are about partnership and protecting the environment. In short, MDGs can be understood by everybody as they have a meaning to all Malawians,” said Dictus .
In the statement released to the media by Zainah Liwanda, UNDP Communications Associate, Dictus further said that a successful summit should generate renewed political commitment and a global plan specifying clear roles for everyone in order to support countries including Malawi to achieve the MDGs by the set deadline of 2015.
He said UNDP is intensfying efforts to help Malawi achieve MDGs by supporting the country to pursue its MDG priorities in line with the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS).
According to Dictus, Malawi’s success story in food security has been told internationally, adding that UNDP is encouraged by the structural reforms that the Governmnet of Malawi has undertaken to ensure that all eight MDGs are achieved.
“Malawi is on track to meet five of the eight MDGs. This is very encouraging. Even in the other three goals, while not meeting the targets, Malawi has shown remarkable progress,” he said.
Evidence shows that there are important synergies among the MDGs, in that acceleration in one goal often speeds up progress in others. Investing in women’s empowerment, education, employment-intensive growth, agricultural innovations, energy and environment sustainablity and health can also have significant multiplier effects across the MDGs.
On International Assessment, a report entitled “What will it take to achieve the MDGs?” launched by UNDP in June this year proposes an eight point-action plan to accelerate and sustain development progress over the next five years.
The eight points focus on supporting nationally-owned and participatory development; pro-poor, job-rich inclusive growth including the private sector; government investments in social services like health and education; expanding opportunities for women and girls; access to low carbon energy; domestic resource mobilization; and delivery on Official Development Assistance commitments.
The report which based evidence from over 50 countries, including Malawi, identifies common and underlying MDG success factors and highlights constraints on progress.
Since the Millennium Declaration was adopted in 2000, the world has spent a decade planning, piloting, evaluating and reporting on MDGs. “Achieving the MDGs is possible. We have the experience, the technology, the money and the plan to address the challenges systematically. What we need is the will to put it into action,” said Dictus.
Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, MDGs
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Rupiah leaves for Mozambique without fanfare
By Mwala Kalaluka
Thu 23 Sep. 2010, 10:30 CAT
THE usual fanfare that characterises President Rupiah Banda’s departure and arrival during his many flights in and out of the country was missing yesterday when he left for Mozambique via South Africa.
President Banda’s motorcade arrived at the Lusaka International Airport at around 11:50 hours and was met by a paltry number of senior government officials who included Vice-President George Kunda.
Others were Presidential Affairs minister Ronald Mukuma, information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha, Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Joshua Kanganja and officials from State House.
There were no groups of singing MMD cadres, as there usually are, and the only cadres who could be spotted on the Airport apron were about two from Lusaka district.
President Banda shook hands and chatted with some of the government officials before waving at a group of security personnel and civilians that were standing nearby, as he walked on the red carpet towards the Presidential Challenger jet in the company of first lady Thandiwe.
According to a statement from State House special assistant for press and public relations Dickson Jere, President Banda is headed for Mozambique in his capacity as the chair of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security cooperation.
Jere said President Banda would stop over in South Africa before heading for Mozambique.
President Banda is not among the many world leaders attending the UN Summit in New York, which has attracted leaders from the developed and the developing countries to look at the poor countries’ attainment of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), among other issues.
Labels: MDGs, MOZAMBIQUE, RUPIAH BANDA
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Video: MDG Debate statement by President Mugabe
Posted: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 2:12 am
BELOW is a video of the speech delivered by President Mugabe to the high-level plenary meeting on Millennium Development Goals in New York yesterday.
In the video, President Mugabe says Zimbabwe’s efforts to meet its Millennium Development Goals have been pinned back by the illegal Western sanctions on the country.
The President said Zimbabwe — with the resources at its disposal and with constructive partnerships with the international community — would meet its MDG targets.
Labels: MDGs, ROBERT MUGABE, SANCTIONS, UN, ZDERA
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Sanctions hurt MDGs: President
From Mabasa Sasa from New York, USA
Zimbabwe’s efforts to meet its Mille-nnium Development Goals have been pinned back by the illegal Western sanctions on the country, President Mugabe has said.
In his address to the high-level plenary meeting on MDGs yesterday, the President said Zimbabwe — with the resources at its disposal and with constructive partnerships with the international community — would meet the targets.
He said: "Our MDGs steering committee has produced three reports since its formation. The reports show that we have registered mixed results.
"Despite our best efforts, we fell short of our targets because of the illegal and debilitating sanctions imposed on the country, and, consequently, the incidence of poverty in Zimbabwe remains high.
"As a result of these punitive measures and despite our turnaround economic plan, the Government of Zimbabwe has been prevented from making a positive difference in the lives of the poor, the hungry, the sick and the destitute among its citizens. This is regrettable because Zimbabwe has a stable economic and political environment. We have the resources, and with the right kind of support from the international community, we have the potential to improve the lives of our people."
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said while there was reason to celebrate successes in pursuit of the MDGs at a local and international level over the past decade, the challenges re-mained many.
This, he noted, required increased commitment by the international community to meet the eight targets as agreed at the 2000 Millennium Summit.
"We remain determined, even in these circumstances, to achieve the MDGs in particular, and other internationally ag-reed commitments in general," he said.
President Mugabe said Zimbabwe had prioritised three of the eight MDGs to push forward, namely: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, to promote gender equality and empower women, and to combat HIV and Aids, malaria and other diseases.
The other MDGs cover environmental sustainability, child mortality and international co-operation for development.
President Mugabe said the country’s best intentions were being undermined by its enemies, who were determined to go against internationally agreed conventions such as the Millennium Declaration.
"Even as our economy suffered from illegal sanctions imposed on the country by our detractors, we continued to deploy and direct much of our own resources towards the achievement of the targets we set for ourselves.
"Indeed, we find it very disturbing and regrettable that after we all agreed to work towards the improvement of the lives of our citizens, some countries should deliberately work to negate our efforts in that direction.
"I believe that as we sit here today and
re-dedicate ourselves to the achievement of the MDGs in the timeframe we set ourselves, this noble effort on our part will only reach fruition if all of us walk our talk.
"The President outlined how Zimbabwe, even before the 2000 Millennium Summit, had set about improving the economic and social conditions of its citizenry.
He said highlights were the thrust to ensure education for all, access to healthcare, empowerment of all people and food security.
President Mugabe said: "A lot of investment has gone into human capital development. Relevant policies, including the Early Childhood Development Policy, have ensured that net enrolments in schools remain high.
"As you may be aware, Mr President, according to recent Unicef reports, Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa."
He said in terms of HIV and Aids interventions, Zimbabwe continued to register significant progress and expressed his hope that this would continue to be replicated in years to come.
"My Government greatly appreciates the assistance it is now receiving from the Global Fund and other agencies.
"We remain concerned about the incidence of HIV and Aids in our country and hope that it will continue to decline significantly as Government strengthens prevention efforts."
He said Zimbabwe was convinced the MDGs were achievable regardless of the many obstacles and urged world leaders to keep promises they made when signing the Millennium Declaration.
"Let us all strive to make 2015 a watershed year, a year when poverty, hunger, disease and other ailments which are impediments in life can be completely prevented.
"Let us henceforth forge a wide-ranging global partnership to make the world a better place for all its peoples, now and in the future."
President Mugabe is expected to address the 65th Session of the UN General Assembly later this week.
Labels: MDGs, ROBERT MUGABE, SANCTIONS, UN, ZDERA
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Let’s walk our talk on MDGs: President
WE publish here a speech delivered by President Mugabe at a high-level plenary meeting on Millennium Development Goals in New York yesterday.
Your Excellencies, the President of the 65th Session of the General Assembly, Mr Joseph Deiss, and the President of the 64th Session of the General Assembly, Dr Ali Treki, Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Your Excellency, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends.
I wish to thank you, Mr President and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon, for convening this very important meeting.
Co-Chairs, You will recall that we gathered in this august Assembly in the year 2000 and agreed on a set of social and humanitarian deliverables which we appropriately called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
We then set out separately and collectively as member-states to achieve our targets.
We now meet, five years before the target year 2015, to review the state of implementation of those goals, to share experiences, identify obstacles and, possibly, chart a course of accelerated action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Co-Chairs, while there is reason to celebrate the progress attained in some areas, the challenges that remain are serious and many.
The recent economic and financial crises wreaked havoc on our previously confident march towards 2015.
Resources dwindled, priorities had to be re-arranged, and for many of us in the developing world, sources of support were reduced, or even lost completely.
Yet, we remain determined, even in these circumstances, to achieve the MDGs in particular, and other internationally agreed commitments in general.
Co-Chairs, from the onset, Zimbabwe has demonstrated unwavering commitment towards the implementation of the MDGs.
We set up an MDGs steering committee in 2000 to track and report progress on implementation.
We initially prioritised Goals 1 – Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, 3 – Promote gender equality and empower women, and 6 – Combat HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases, which we viewed as critical to the achievement of all the other goals.
Even as our economy suffered from illegal sanctions imposed on the country by our detractors, we continued to deploy and direct much of our own resources towards the achievement of the targets we set for ourselves.
Indeed, we find it very disturbing and regrettable that after we all agreed to work towards the improvement of the lives of our citizens, some countries should deliberately work to negate our efforts in that direction.
I believe that as we sit here today and re-dedicate ourselves to the achievement of the MDGs in the time frame we set ourselves, this noble effort on our part will only reach fruition if all of us walk our talk.
Our MDGs steering committee has produced three reports since its formation.
The reports show that we have registered mixed results.
Despite our best efforts, we fell short of our targets because of the illegal and debilitating sanctions imposed on the country, and, consequently, the incidence of poverty in Zimbabwe remains high.
As a result of these punitive measures and despite our turnaround economic plan, the Government of Zimbabwe has been prevented from making a positive difference in the lives of the poor, the hungry, the sick and the destitute among its citizens.
This, Co-Chairs, is regrettable because Zimbabwe has a stable economic and political environment.
We have the resources, and with the right kind of support from the international community, we have the potential to improve the lives of our people.
Co-Chairs, Zimbabwe’s commitment to the education of its people is well-known.
Since independence in 1980 there has been a massive expansion in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
A lot of investment has gone into human capital development.
Relevant policies, including the Early Childhood Development Policy, have ensured that net enrolments in schools remain high.
As you may be aware, Mr President, according to recent Unicef reports, Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa.
Co-Chairs, I am also pleased to inform you that Zimbabwe is set to reach the gender parity target in both primary and secondary school enrolment.
The country has also made strides in attaining gender parity in enrolment and completion rates at tertiary education.
We have signed and ratified a number of international and regional gender instruments and promulgated national policies and laws on gender.
Nevertheless, we are lagging behind in regard to gender equal participation in decision-making in all sectors by 2015.
Women still lag behind.
While there has been a slight increase in the number of women Parliamentarians from 14 percent in 1990-95 to the current target of 30 percent, we are concerned that this is still below the 2005 target of 30 percent.
Co-Chairs, regarding Goal 6, my country has registered significant progress in lowering the HIV and Aids prevalence rate.
The estimated prevalence rate in adults aged 15-49 years was 23,7 percent in 2001.
This dropped to 18,1 percent in 2005 and declined further to 14,3 percent in 2009.
This decline was achieved despite lack of support from the international community, and at a time when even issues such as HIV and Aids were politicised and mixed with agendas of regime change.
My Government greatly appreciates the assistance it is now receiving from the Global Fund and other agencies.
We remain concerned about the incidence of HIV and Aids in our country and hope that it will continue to decline significantly as Government strengthens prevention efforts.
Co-Chairs, we are worried about the limited progress we have made in the area of environmental sustainability.
The impact of climate change, as evidenced by recurrent droughts, flooding, unreliable and unpredictable rainfall seasons, has wreaked havoc on the lives of our people, most of whom depend on agriculture for a living.
In addition, efforts by Government to provide clean water, decent sanitation and shelter for both urban and rural dwellers, have suffered as a result of the illegal sanctions imposed by some Western countries.
We applaud those in the international community who have responded to our appeal for assistance to address these urgent challenges.
Co-Chairs, my country remains convinced that the MDG targets are achievable.
What is needed is political commitment, particularly, on the part of developed count- ries.
There is need to ensure that commitments already made are not reduced even in the light of new demands.
Aid delivery and co-ordination mechanisms must not be hampered by political biases and preferences.
Let us keep the promise we made 10 years ago.
Let us all strive to make 2015 a watershed year, a year when poverty, hunger, disease and other ailments which are impediments in life can be completely prevented.
Let us henceforth forge a wide-ranging global partnership to make the world a better place for all its peoples, now and in the future.
I thank you.
Labels: MDGs, ROBERT MUGABE, UN
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