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10 August 2022
Minister hosts UN team during a tour of Lavumisa Town Board
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10 August 2022
Minister hosts UN team during a tour of Lavumisa Town Board
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Speech
10 August 2022
Remarks of the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. George Wachira during the visit to Lavumisa Town Board on the 10th August 2022
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Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Eswatini
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Eswatini:
Story
15 April 2021
“There is No Tool for Development More Effective Than the Empowerment of Women”
In 2015, World Leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while maintaining peace, protecting the planet, the people and building partnerships. With only ten years remaining to achieve these goals, countries are accelerating steps towards ending poverty, fighting inequalities, tackling climate change, and ensuring that no one is left behind. Every month, the United Nations places one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the spotlight, highlighting its purpose, targets, and criticality in advancing Agenda 2030. This month’s focus is SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Earlier this month, the UN Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has “a woman’s face”. This is undeniable.
Indeed, women continue to play a disproportionate role in responding to the virus, eitheras frontline healthcare workers or as care-takers at home. In this regard, women’s unpaid care work has increased significantly as a result of school closures and the increased parental responsibilities women discharge, in addition to caring for the elderly. Women are also harder hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19, as they disproportionately work in insecure labour markets. Nearly 60 per cent of women work in the informal economy, which puts them at greater risk of falling into poverty.
In Africa, rural women in particular are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it is estimated that the pandemic will likely push 47 million more women into poverty, reversing decades of progress.
The pandemic has also led to a steep increase in violence against women and girls. With lockdown measures in place, many women were trapped at home or in their communities with their abusers, struggling to access services affected by cuts and restrictions. Data is already showing that, since the outbreak of the pandemic, violence against women and girls – and particularly domestic violence – has very significantly intensified.During the pandemic, calls to helplines increased five-fold, reporting cases of intimate partner violence.
In Eswatini, even as we celebrated the International Women’s Day on 8 March, there have been shocking headlines of domestic and intimate partner violence where, sadly, the lives of women and girls have been lost.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could reverse the limited progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s rights over the last few decades since the Beijing Declaration.
Clearly, the coronavirus outbreak is exacerbating existing inequalities for women and girls across every sphere, from health and the economy to security and social protection.
Over the last decades, we have witnessed positive progress on Gender Equality. As we speak, globally, there are more girls in school than in previous decades. There are fewer girls forced into early marriage; more and more women are serving in Parliament and in positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality.
Despite these gains, many challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms remain pervasive; women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership; and 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 report experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period.
After the lockdowns, one million girls are expected never to return to school due to early teenage pregnancy.
In Eswatini, 87 of every 1,000 girls are falling pregnant and losing their education, as are many losing their lives to pregnancy and birth complications. One girl losing her life to early teenage pregnancy is one too many.
The physical and psychological consequences of violence against women are devastating: not only does violence undermine the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims, but it happens in a culture of silence. Less than 10 percent of women report incidences of violence to the police. We cannot afford to remain silent a moment longer.
Gender-based violence knows no boundaries and can affect anyone, anywhere and at any time. However, particular groups of women and girls are extremely vulnerable to violence, including young girls and older women; women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex; migrants and refugees; indigenous women and ethnic minorities; as well as women living with HIV or disabilities, and those living through humanitarian crises.
Girls and women account for 72 percent of trafficking victims, of whom most are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. More than 200 million girls and women alive today have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM) in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Despite the many obstacles girls and women face, they continue to show incredible strength and resilience as they fight on the frontlines in many ways: not only as mothers, caretakers and bread-winners at home; community leaders; peacekeepers in war zones and soldiers, but also as nurses, doctors, healthcare and essential workers during COVID-19.
Preliminary studies show that women account for over 70 percent of COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers, a testament to their share in the total healthcare workforce. Yet, they account for less than a third of all deaths among healthcare workers. These statistics are only a few that demonstrate the courage and resilience of women.
We have also witnessed the phenomenal leadership of female leaders such as Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany. Their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have proved effective, inclusive and people-oriented; making significant strides to ensuring that nobody is left behind in their recoveries from COVID-19.
Only 23 countries today have an elected female Head of State or Government, while 119 countries have never had a female leader. Africa remains exceptionally behind in women leadership, as only four women have ever held positions as Head of State or Head of Government.
In Eswatini, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed the exceptional leadership of brave women such as the Honourable Minister of Health and other female Cabinet Ministers, Honourable female members of the Parliament and the many others – wives, businesswomen, women farmers, teachers, big sisters to orphans, grandmothers and the alike – who have led their families and their communities throughout the pandemic. The vision, the innovative thinking, the humanity and the leadership of female Captains of Industry and sisters such as the ones involved in the Vukani BoMake project have helped to transform the lives of so many others across this beautiful nation. All of them have demonstrated incredible resilience in the face of the several adversities they have faced, and turned challenges into opportunities, and opportunities into success.
Despite those inspiring examples, the 2018 UN Human Development Report ranked Eswatini 137 out of 159 countries for gender inequality, for unemployment remains higher for young women than men, at 50 percent and 44 percent respectively.
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
Worldwide, it is estimated that gender parity, at the current rate in which it is moving, will not be reached in national Parliaments before 2063, and in ministerial positions before 2077.
As we seek to recover from COVID-19, we are presented with a unique opportunity to recover better whilst recognising the powerful roles that women and girls have played throughout the pandemic.
The United Nations’ response to COVID-19 is therefore founded on the principles of protecting the people and the planet, preserving the gains of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving Agenda 2030.
In line with SDG 5, the UN is continuing to invest in life-changing initiatives for millions of women and girls worldwide through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. This Fund focuses on preventing violence, implementing laws and policies, and improving access to vital services for survivors. With more than 460 programmes in 139 countries and territories over the past two decades, the United Nations will not stop until every girl and woman is given equal access to rights and opportunities.
The United Nations continues to stand in solidarity with the Government and the people of Eswatini as, altogether, we continue to pursue a just, prosperous and resilient Eswatini in which nobody is left behind.
We need local solutions to local problems and a recovery that places women and girls at the centre. In the powerful words of the late Kofi Annan: “There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.” It is in solidarity that we will achieve gender equality, a gain that will benefit the entirety of our nation and world.
SDG 5 Targets:
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation
Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life
Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
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Story
14 April 2021
UN Personnel Are Vaccinated Against COVID-19
The rollout of the vaccines took place at the UN isolation facility: a step taken by the United Nations to ensure the good health and well-being of their personnel who serve as frontline workers, and as reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.
The United Nations is at the forefront of the world’s efforts to respond to and recover from the pandemic, as well as ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines within and amongst nations.
Eswatini’s nationwide rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines commenced on 19th March 2021 and will be carried out in two phases. Phase 1, stage A, will cover all health workers and stage B will cover the elderly and people with comorbidities. Phase 2 will cover other frontline workers such as the police force, teachers, transport industry and the media, whilst Phase 3 will reach all remaining adults.
The vaccination of UN staff and personnel will enable the continuity of business operations, as well as assist the Government’s efforts to recover better from the pandemic.
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Story
17 March 2020
COVID-19: We Will Come Through This Together
The upheaval caused by the coronavirus – COVID-19 - is all around us. And I know many are anxious, worried and confused. That’s absolutely natural.
We are facing a health threat unlike any other in our lifetimes.
Meanwhile, the virus is spreading, the danger is growing, and our health systems, economies and day-to-day lives are being severely tested.
The most vulnerable are the most affected—particularly our elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions, those without access to reliable health care, and those in poverty or living on the edge.
The social and economic fallout from the combination of the pandemic and slowing economies will affect most of us for some months.
But the spread of the virus will peak. Our economies will recover.
Until then, we must act together to slow the spread of the virus and look after each other.
This is a time for prudence, not panic. Science, not stigma. Facts, not fear.
Even though the situation has been classified as a pandemic, it is one we can control. We can slow down transmissions, prevent infections and save lives. But that will take unprecedented personal, national and international action.
COVID-19 is our common enemy. We must declare war on this virus. That means countries have a responsibility to gear up, step up and scale up.
How? By implementing effective containment strategies; by activating and enhancing emergency response systems; by dramatically increasing testing capacity and care for patients; by readying hospitals, ensuring they have the space, supplies and needed personnel; and by developing life-saving medical interventions.
All of us have a responsibility, too -- to follow medical advice and take simple, practical steps recommended by health authorities.
In addition to being a public health crisis, the virus is infecting the global economy.
Financial markets have been hard hit by the uncertainty. Global supply chains have been disrupted. Investment and consumer demand have plunged -- with a real and rising risk of a global recession.
United Nations economists estimate that the virus could cost the global economy at least $1 trillion this year – and perhaps far more.
No country can do it alone. More than ever, governments must cooperate to revitalize economies, expand public investment, boost trade, and ensure targeted support for the people and communities most affected by the disease or more vulnerable to the negative economic impacts – including women who often shoulder a disproportionate burden of care work.
A pandemic drives home the essential interconnectedness of our human family. Preventing the further spread of COVID-19 is a shared responsibility for us all.
The United Nations – including the World Health Organization -- is fully mobilized.
As part of our human family, we are working 24/7 with governments, providing international guidance, helping the world take on this threat.
We are in this together – and we will get through this, together.
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Story
10 August 2022
Minister hosts UN team during a tour of Lavumisa Town Board
Minister of Tinkhundla Administration & Development, Hon. David Ngcamphalala has today hosted the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. George Wachira and UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Rose Ssebatindira, on a guided tour of the Lavumisa Town Board.
The Lavumisa Town Board has donated their old offices to MTAD with a view to bring Government services to the small town, located in the south-eastern tip of Eswatini, approximately 175km from Mbabane city. The Town Board will be moving to new premises, the building of which is near completion.
During the tour, the Minister noted that Lavumisa residents travel long distances to access Government services such as immigration, birth registration, social services and others. “Although we do not have a budget yet, it is our dream to turn this structure into a service centre similar to the four improved Tinkhundla centres,” said the Minister. Hon. Ngcamphalala also thanked UNDP for on-going support towards development of the Decentralisation Bill which is now being considered in Parliament.
Lavumisa Chief Gasa waNgwane expressed hope that the Minister’s visit would result in the success of the planned project. “We want to transform this town to be a centre of development and help our people to get all the services they need,” he said.
Mr. Wachira explained that the role of the UN was to support the efforts of the Kingdom to improve the lives of the people in line with national aspirations in line with the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He noted that Eswatini was making good progress to achieve targets under SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities, especially in supporting positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.
“In many countries, it has been demonstrated that decentralisation allows the people to have a greater say in their own development priorities; and for government to align its resource allocation and policies in ways that make development real and responsive to the needs of its people. In particular, decentralisation spurs the acceleration, targeting and improvement of quality of services,” said Mr. Wachira.
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Story
10 August 2022
Eswatini hosts high level roundtable to prepare for Transforming Education Summit
On the 4th of August 2022, the Minister of Education, Hon. Lady Howard-Mabuza hosted a high level round table discussion for policy makers, development partners and captains of industry as part of Eswatini’s national preparations for the Transforming Education Summit to be held on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2022.
The Transforming Education Summit is an initiative of the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, which seeks to mobilize political ambition, action, solutions and solidarity to transform education and find solutions for recovering from the learning losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic with a view to revitalize national and global efforts to achieve targets under Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education.
In Eswatini, a steering committee, set up by the Minister of Education and supported by UNICEF and UNESCO, has been conducting consultations with various stakeholders across the country to contribute to a shared vision, commitment and alignment of action to transform education.
Minister Howard-Mabuza noted that the Transforming Education Summit has been given precedence by the United Nations due to evidence from the impact of COVID-19 across counties that has worsened existing challenges in the education sector. “The impact of prolonged school closures has also limited children’s right to education and deprived them of opportunities to learn and develop the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing society,” said the Minister. “The sector is still recovering from educational losses due to COVID-19, civil unrest and tropical storms which have further widened existing inequalities in the country’s education system.”
Mr. Wachira challenged participants to reimagine education to be more fit for current challenges. “We are here because we must be concerned for our children and their future,” said the Resident Coordinator. “We are here because education holds the key to building a more equal, secure and prosperous future, and because we owe our children a future.” He explained that transforming education is not just about transforming the school system but includes other spaces where education takes place. “We need to recognize more the various other spaces within which our children are gaining instruction, stimulation and learning and figure out how to account for those as part of our education system,” said the Resident Coordinator.
Mr. Wachira challenged participants to reimagine education to be more fit for current challenges. “We are here because we must be concerned for our children and their future,” said the Resident Coordinator. “We are here because education holds the key to building a more equal, secure and prosperous future, and because we owe our children a future.” He explained that transforming education is not just about transforming the school system but includes other spaces where education takes place. “We need to recognize more the various other spaces within which our children are gaining instruction, stimulation and learning and figure out how to account for those as part of our education system,” said the Resident Coordinator.
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Story
15 July 2022
Eswatini launches Education Plus Initiative
On 14 July 2022, the Minister of Education launched Education Plus Initiative which is a high--level global political advocacy drive to accelerate actions and investments to effectively prevent HIV and empower adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa, including in Eswatini.
The initiative, which is led by five UN agencies (UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNESCO, UNICEF and UN Women) has the noble vision of a world in which every young person, especially adolescent girls and young women completes primary, secondary, and tertiary education and is empowered to lead a secure, healthy, fulfilling, and productive life—free of gender discrimination, violence, and AIDS.
UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. George Wachira, applauded the five UN agencies for coming together to demonstrate, in practical terms how the UN can achieve greater impact through working more and better together. "By coming together in this initiative, the UN agencies have helped to bring into a sharp focus, the nexus between gender discrimination and violence, sexual and reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS and their impacts on education," he said.
Mr. Wachira expressed concern that there remains too many obstacles to achieving quality education and gender equality, particularly among girls. "There are too many teenage pregnancies, and with them, too many new infections," he told over 600 students at Moyeni High School in Mafutseni Inkhundla where the initiative was launched. "There are too many school drop-outs. There is too much violence and abuse against children, and especially girls, some of them, if true as reported in our papers, reading like horror movies. And cultural norms remain a seemingly immovable mountain against the education and life aspirations of our girls. These are serious concerns and should keep us awake at night."
He also noted that despite remarkable progress made, statistics still show that adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately affected by HIV. Out of the 4,800 new infections recorded in 2021, a total of 1,600 new infections were among adolescent girls and young women, making up more than 33% of the new infections.
The Resident Coordinator committed to continuing UN support the emergence of an increasingly equal world, and education, where accessible and of quality, presents a pathway for lifting millions out of poverty and other disadvantages. "That is why we must work harder to ensure that all obstacles to quality and accessible education – from pandemics, to resources, to violence and discrimination – are not allowed to destroy this great equalizer," he said.
He challenged young people to make their voices heard during the upcoming Transforming Education Summit where pre-Summit consultations have started in Eswatini. "To our young people, my call to you is: Stay hungry! Stay thirsty for knowledge! Stay curious! And stay safe!," he said.
Minister of Education, Hon. Lady Howard-Mabuza, noted that society puts adolescent girls and young women at great risk of getting infected from HIV and gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. He announced that the Government was developing a framework to protect girls from these risks.
View photos from the launch
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Story
22 June 2022
“Enough is enough” as Eswatini launches second Decade of Action on Road Safety
Eswatini Prime Minister, Hon. Cleopas Dlamini, has launched the 2nd Decade of Action on Road Safety for the period 2021-2030, and has declared “enough is enough” while committing to reducing road accident deaths and injuries by 50 percent.
WHO and the UN regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action, which was launched in October 2021.
“Today, we are gathered here to declare “enough is enough”, said the Prime Minister at the launch held at Esibayeni Lodge in Matsapha. “Let us all consider Road Safety as a Shared Responsibility where Government efforts are complemented by the private sector, civil organisations, Non-Government Organisations and every citizen in the fight against this scourge.
“As we commit to the Call for Action on Road Safety until 2030, I urge each and every liSwati to use the road responsibly. As much as the targets of the Decade of Action on Road Safety are ambitious, they are, however, achievable.”
The 1st Road Safety Decade of Action which covered the period 2011-2020 prioritized five pillars, including road safety management; safer roads and mobility; safer vehicles; safer road users and post-crash response. The 2nd Decade of Action builds on the considerable work done in the 1st Decade of Action with five pillars that include multimodal transport and land use planning; safe road infrastructure; safe vehicles; safe road use; and post-crash response.
Eswatini has also ratified the African Road Safety Charter whose fundamental aim is to improve road safety through road construction, vehicle safety, safe road use and post-crash care.
Pedestrians account for more than 60% of road traffic accidents. The Prime Minister committed to ensuring that all roads to be constructed to cater for non-motorised transport. Non-motorised transport is transport which has no mechanical engine that propels it. . These include animal drawn vehicles, walking, road running, cycling and others. “Let all roads designed; be it in urban or rural areas, include facilities for non-motorised transport which mostly fall under vulnerable road users,” he said. “It is encouraging that the recently completed MR3 Lot 1 and 2 have accommodated various means for Non-Motorised Transport to use the road and we can only improve from here.”
UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. George Wachira, who was represented by UNICEF Representative, Ms. Amina Mohammed at the launch, expressed concern that low- and middle-income countries account for more than 90% of all road traffic deaths despite having less than 60% of the world’s motor vehicles.
He noted that the UN has taken the road safety challenge seriously and encouraged other international organisations, non-governmental organisations, community based organisations and civic groups to do the same. “As the UN Family, we have also committed, together with the Government and partners, to reducing morbidity and mortality through deaths due to road traffic injuries,” he said.
“The time to act is now. The intolerable death and injury toll and the start of the next Decade of Road Safety, give us impetus to do things differently. Let us make safer roads for a safer Eswatini. Let us join hands in crafting a new vision for safer and healthier Eswatini.”
The launch was attended by senior government officials, including parliamentarians, civil society, private sector and representatives of the transport sector.
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Story
18 June 2022
Donating blood is an act of solidarity
United Nations Eswatini employees are making the effort to act in solidarity to save lives by donating blood.
On the 16th June 2022, the UN Staff Federation, with support from WHO and the National Blood Transfusion Services under the Ministry of Health, organized a commemoration of World Blood Donor Day to raise awareness on the importance of donating blood as an act of solidarity to save lives, and the opportunity was availed for UN staff to donate blood.
UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. George Wachira, who was the official guest, did not miss the opportunity to also donate blood. Mr Wachira noted that donating blood was an act of selflessness and a gift of life to someone. “I say it is a literal gift of life because, indeed, when we give blood, we become the reason for someone’s existence,” he said. “Furthermore, this gift is often to someone that we do not know, which makes donating blood a special act of selflessness.”
Only 10 percent of the blood collected from volunteers in Eswatini is from the adult population. 90 percent comes from young people in schools. “We want to change this and increase the donation from adults who are not very much aware of the need for blood and the contributions they can make to save lives by a simple act of solidarity,” said Dr. Mekdim Ayana, WHO Health Systems Strengthening officer, who represented WHO Representative, Dr. Cornelia Atsyor during the commemoration.
This year’s theme, Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives, seeks to highlight and celebrate the critical role of voluntary blood donations in saving lives, and enhancing community solidarity and social cohesion.
“Experts tell us that, by donating just one unit of blood, one person can save the lives of up to three patients,” said the Resident Coordinator. “Forget Superman, Spiderman, Batman and all those imaginary heroes: Each one of us can be and is a hero each time we donate blood.”
Mr. Wachira noted that there is a lot of demand for blood, especially in developing countries, due to blood loss from accidents. He encouraged UN staff to also play a role in reducing road accidents. Eswatini, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has embraced the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which seeks to raise awareness on the importance of obeying speed limits and being careful on roads. “I urge each one of us to remind ourselves, our loved ones and friends, on the importance of road safety, whether as drivers, passengers or pedestrians. We all have a role in reducing loss of lives and blood in accidents,” said Mr. Wachira.
WHO has been supporting the National Blood Transfusion Services in building their capacity to collect more blood, to save blood for a longer period, how to use excess blood in a more efficient way. They are also being supported to establish the hemovigilance system which is a set of surveillance procedures covering whole transfusion chain from the collection of blood and its components to the follow up of its recipients, intended to collect and access information on unexpected or undesirable effects resulting from the therapeutic use of labile blood products.
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Press Release
10 August 2022
Minister hosts UN team during a tour of Lavumisa Town Board
The Lavumisa Town Board has donated their old offices to MTAD with a view to bring Government services to the small town, located in the south-eastern tip of Eswatini, approximately 175km from Mbabane city. The Town Board will be moving to new premises, the building of which is near completion.
During the tour, the Minister noted that Lavumisa residents travel long distances to access Government services such as immigration, birth registration, social services and others. “Although we do not have a budget yet, it is our dream to turn this structure into a service centre similar to the four improved Tinkhundla centres,” said the Minister. Hon. Ngcamphalala also thanked UNDP for on-going support towards development of the Decentralisation Bill which is now being considered in Parliament.
Lavumisa Chief Gasa waNgwane expressed hope that the Minister’s visit would result in the success of the planned project. “We want to transform this town to be a centre of development and help our people to get all the services they need,” he said.
Mr. Wachira explained that the role of the UN was to support the efforts of the Kingdom to improve the lives of the people in line with national aspirations in line with the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He noted that Eswatini was making good progress to achieve targets under SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities, especially in supporting positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.
“In many countries, it has been demonstrated that decentralisation allows the people to have a greater say in their own development priorities; and for government to align its resource allocation and policies in ways that make development real and responsive to the needs of its people. In particular, decentralisation spurs the acceleration, targeting and improvement of quality of services,” said Mr. Wachira.
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Press Release
28 July 2022
Minister of Economic Planning & Development, Dr. Tambo Gina hosts development partners, seeks feedback on draft National Development Plan
(28 July 2022: Mbabane) - Minister of Economic Planning & Development, Dr. Tambo Gina today convened a meeting for ambassadors, heads of missions and United Nations Heads of Agencies to obtain their feedback on the new National Development Plan for the period 2023 to 2027, currently being developed.
The meeting was held at the UN House in Mbabane with some participants joining virtually.
The NDP development process has so far benefitted from extensive consultations with the public sector, private sector, civil society and development partners. The document spells out Government’s plans to achieve economic recovery and sustainable livelihoods for all Emaswati in the next five years..
Minister Gina, who officially opened the meeting together with the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. George Wachira, explained that the new Plan has been developed following the expiration in March 2022 of the previous NDP which covered the period 2018-2022.
He noted that the previous NDP faced a number of challenges during its implementation which had not been envisaged. “We did not envisage the outbreak of the COVID -19 pandemic in March 2020 and the political unrests in June and July 2021,” the Minister said. “Nonetheless, I wish to express Government’s appreciation of the quick response and support received from our Development Partners which mitigated the devastating impacts COVID 19 could have had on human lives. We appreciate the technical and financial support, the food parcels, the vaccines and others that our development partners extended to the nation. We also want to thank you for the contributions you have already made and are making towards resolution of the political situation in the country, including the contributions you made towards the recovery of businesses that were damaged during the June and July 2021 unrests.”
Mr. Wachira acknowledged the critical role of development partners and thanked UNDP and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa for supporting the NDP process and noted the need for alignment between the new and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (202102025) signed jointly with the Government with a vision to see a prosperous, just and resilient Eswatini where no one is left behind. “As we review the document, we are keen to see ever strong links between the Plan and the Agenda 2030 national commitments,” he said.
Mr. Wachira noted that planning for the next five years was difficult in light of the increasingly vulnerable, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment, or “VUCA”. “We only need to think about the multiple crises that have buffeted and continue to disrupt our world today,” he said. “What does this mean for planning? In my mind, this world of today is increasingly challenging our traditional planning tools, and calling us to ensure our plans have inbuilt capacities for responsiveness ad adaptability.”
Mr. Wachira suggested that the planning process could be boosted through use of tools and thinking that challenge our imagination and help us to peer into the future, including horizon scanning, foresight for development, and scenario thinking.
The NDP has been drafted by a technical team led by Ms. Nomsa Dlamini, former chief economist in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. The team will consolidate the comments from development partners and other stakeholders to finalize the document for approval by Cabinet.
For more information, please contact:
Sibusiso Mngadi, Communications & Advocacy Officer
UN Resident Coordinator’s Office
5th Floor, UN House. Mbabane.
Tel: 7806 9042 Email: sibusiso.mngadi@un.org
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Press Release
05 June 2022
Secretary-General's Message on World Environment Day
The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, “Only One Earth”, is a simple statement of fact. This planet is our only home. It is vital we safeguard the health of its atmosphere, the richness and diversity of life on Earth, its ecosystems and its finite resources. But we are failing to do so. We are asking too much of our planet to maintain ways life that are unsustainable. Earth’s natural systems cannot keep up with our demands.
This not only hurts the Earth, but us too. A healthy environment is essential for all people and all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It provides food, clean water, medicines, climate regulation and protection from extreme weather events. It is essential that we wisely manage nature and ensure equitable access to its services, especially for the most vulnerable people and communities.
More than 3 billion people are affected by degraded ecosystems. Pollution is responsible for some 9 million premature deaths each year. More than 1 million plant and animal species risk extinction, many within decades.
Close to half of humanity is already in the climate danger zone – 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts such as extreme heat, floods and drought. There is a 50:50 chance that annual average global temperatures will breach the Paris Agreement limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next five years. More than 200 million people each year could be displaced by climate disruption by 2050.
Fifty years ago, the world’s leaders came together at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and committed to protecting the planet. But we are far from succeeding. We can no longer ignore the alarm bells that ring louder every day.
The recent Stockholm+50 environment meeting reiterated that all 17 Sustainable Development Goals rely on a healthy planet. We must all take responsibility to avert the catastrophe being wrought by the triple crises of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Governments need urgently to prioritize climate action and environmental protection through policy decisions that promote sustainable progress. To that end, I have proposed five concrete recommendations to dramatically speed up the deployment of renewable energy everywhere, including making renewable techologies and raw materials available to all, cutting red tape, shifting subsidies and tripling investment.
Businesses need to put sustainability at the heart of their decision-making for the sake of humanity and their own bottom line. A healthy planet is the backbone of nearly every industry on Earth.
And as voters and consumers we must make our actions count: from the policies we support, to the food we eat, to the transport we choose, to the companies we support. We can all make environmentally friendly choices that will add up to the change we need.
Women and girls, in particular, can be forceful agents of change. They must be empowered and included in decision-making at all levels. Likewise, indigenous and traditional knowledge must also be respected and harnessed to help protect our fragile ecosystems.
History has shown what can be achieved when we work together and put the planet first. In the 1980s, when scientists warned about a deadly continent-sized hole in the ozone layer, every country committed to the Montreal Protocol to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals.
In the 1990s, the Basel Convention outlawed the dumping of toxic waste in developing countries. And, last year, a multilateral effort ended the production of leaded petrol – a move that will promote better health and prevent more than 1.2 million premature deaths each year.
This year and the next will present more opportunities for the global community to demonstrate the power of multilateralism to tackle our intertwined environmental crises, from negotiations on a new global biodiversity framework to reverse nature loss by 2030 to the establishment of a treaty to tackle plastics pollution.
The United Nations is committed to leading these cooperative global efforts, because the only way forward is to work with nature, not against it. Together we can ensure that our planet not only survives, but thrives, because we have Only One Earth.
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Press Release
04 May 2022
George Wachira appointed as UN Resident Coordinator for Eswatini
The United Nations Secretary-General has appointed Mr. George Wachira of Kenya as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Mr. Wachira, who replaces Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh of Cameroon who served the Kingdom from 2019 to 2021, assumed his position in April 2022.
Mr. Wachira of Kenya brings more than 30 years of experience at the interface of development, governance, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Since joining the UN in 2011, he served as the UN Peace and Development Advisor in Guyana, Lesotho and lately in Eritrea where he led UN conflict prevention, strategic political analysis, peacebuilding, electoral support, political dialogue, human rights, national reforms and capacity building programmes. He also served as Head of the Governance and Peacebuilding Unit of UNDP in Lesotho.
Prior to joining the UN System, he worked for 20 years in various capacities, including as executive director, for Nairobi Peace Initiative-Africa, a pioneering peacebuilding organisation from where he helped shape peacebuilding practice in eastern, central and western African countries.
Mr. Wachira obtained his master’s degree in international peace studies from the University of Notre Dame in the USA and a bachelor’s degree in government and anthropology from the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
Background information
A United Nations Resident Coordinator is the highest United Nations official and the chief of UN diplomatic mission in a country. It confers the same rank as an Ambassador of a foreign state. The resident coordinator is the designated representative of the UN secretary general and leader of United Nations Country Team of agencies.
There are 16 UN Agencies operating in Eswatini. The UN Development System in Eswatini and Government of Eswatini have signed the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the period 2021-2025 with a vision of “a prosperous, just and resilient Eswatini where no one is left behind”.
For more information, please contact:
Mr Sibusiso Mngadi, Communications and Advocacy Officer,
UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO)
Tel: 7806 9042
Email: sibusiso.mngadi@un.org
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Press Release
19 October 2021
Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on the Situation in the Kingdom of Eswatini
The Secretary-General is following with concern the ongoing developments in Eswatini, including the recent deployment of armed security forces at various schools, reports of excessive use of force in response to student demonstrations, and the indefinite closure of schools. This affects adversely children and young people.
The Secretary-General reiterates the importance of enabling the people of Eswatini to exercise their civil and political rights peacefully. He urges the Government to ensure that security forces act in conformity with relevant international human rights standards, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Secretary-General condemns all acts of violence and urges all parties and the media to refrain from disinformation, hate speech and incitement.
The United Nations remains committed to working with the Government and the people of Eswatini, and all partners, to achieve a peaceful resolution.
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Latest Resources
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Resources
09 March 2021
Resources
09 March 2021
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