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Speech
12 May 2022
Statement by the UN Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Eswatini, Mr. George Wachira, during the ceremony of presentation of Letter of Credence to His Majesty King Mswati III, Head of State of the Kingdom of Eswatini
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Story
11 May 2022
Home-testing kits for persons with diabetes
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Story
06 May 2022
Masibekela High leads build-up to World Environment Day
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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:
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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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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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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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11 May 2022
Home-testing kits for persons with diabetes
Many persons with diabetes in Eswatini will now be able to test their blood sugar levels in the comfort of their homes.
On the 11th May 2022, the Diabetes Association of Eswatini received 160 self-testing kits worth over E77,000 (US$5,000) from the United Nations in Eswatini. The self-testing kits will be used during community awareness activities being carried out by the Association across the country, building up to the commemoration of the World Diabetes Day in November 2022.
“We have lined up a series of awareness activities in several communities across the country and we shall be teaching people how to live with diabetes,” said Dumsile Mavuso, Director and Founder of the Diabetes Association of Eswatini. She expressed appreciation to the United Nations for extending support in the form of self-testing kits, which she said will help save lives in the communities.
UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. George Wachira, who officially handed the kits over to the Diabetes Association, commended the Association for reaching out and empowering people with knowledge of how to manage this serious disease. “It is crucial that people in communities are empowered with the correct knowledge of how to manage such a disease, which remains a threat to the health and well-being of many.”
He noted that while the 17 Sustainable Development Goals were indivisible and crucial to be achieved together for sustainable development, health and well-being of the people (SDG 3) was central to all. “Without health and well-being, it is impossible to work towards achieving the other goals,” he said.
The Diabetes Association Eswatini has established 114 support groups nationwide, each educating an average of 600 people on the disease every year.
According to WHO, people with non-communicable diseases are more vulnerable to becoming severely ill or die from COVID-19. These diseases include cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes mellitus and cancer.
As of the 11th of May 2022, Eswatini had recorded a total of 71,480 coronavirus cases and 1402 deaths. According to WHO, most of these deaths were related to pre-existing medical conditions that the deceased had.
“It is essential that we monitor our blood sugar levels,” says Mavuso. “Before we eat in the morning and when taking medication, you need to know where you stand. It is especially important when you administering insulin.”
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06 May 2022
Masibekela High leads build-up to World Environment Day
Masibekela High School, about 20kms South of Mbabane, hosted a build-up campaign to World Environment Day which will be commemorated around the world on the 5th of June 2020 under the theme: “Only One Earth.”
The school forged partnerships with various organisations in the public and private sector to raise awareness on green living and its impact on peoples lives. The celebration started with an awareness walk on the main road leading to Mhlambanyatsi where the students and partners helped to pick up litter.
The event was also used to set up an environmental club at the school under the green initiative led by the Eswatini Environment Authority, the Eswatini Youth Biodiversity Network and the University of Eswatini.
The United Nations in Eswatini participated in the celebration through the UN Communications Group (UNCG) by mobilizing contributions from all agencies and sharing UN programmes with the audience.
Nontobeko Mlangengeni, UNDP Programmes Officer, highlighted that UNDP was working on various projects to improve environmental sustainability and address the impact of climate change. Their work on improved waste management capacities at national and local levels included a campaign, Phatsa Sakho, to discourage the use of plastics. She invited the school and the young people to apply for funding under the small grants initiative on projects that are on environmental sustainability.
Nelsiwe Ndwandwe, UNESCO Programme Officer, shared how UNESCO was working with schools around the country to set up environmental sustainability clubs. She also shared UNESCO’s initiative on biosphere reserve which is currently implemented in the Lubombo Region. Biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity.
World Environment Day 2022 is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1974, it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach. It is celebrated by millions of people across the world.
This year, the commemoration of World Environment Day focuses on “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature”.
View photos from the event
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04 May 2022
Stakeholders validate Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the SDGs
Eswatini is conducting a Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the country’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
On the 4th May 2022, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, with support from the United Nations, presented the draft report to stakeholders for validation ahead of the country’s participation in the High Level Political Forum on SDGs to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York in July 2022.
Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Dr. Tambo Gina, who was represented by the Principal Secretary, Ms. Thabsile Mlangeni, expressed appreciation to all stakeholders who provided inputs during the national consultative process., including the UN for providing technical and financial assistance.
After the validation workshop, the national SDGs Core team will finalize the report and submit it to the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. The Ministry will review and endorse the report for onward submission to the SDGs Steering Committee of principal secretaries who provide oversight in all SDGs related work. The steering committee will then present the report to Cabinet and Parliament (MEPD Portfolio committee) for review and approval. The final report will be presented to UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
Eswatini will then present the report at the High Level Political Forum on SDGs with 45 other countries.
This is the second report Eswatini will be presenting. The first report was presented in 2019 and prioritized 10 SDGs. The current report covers all 17 SDGs.
The Minister noted that the VNR has come at the right time when the country was also reviewing its long term National Development Strategy (NDS) which comes to an end in 2022. “The expectation is that the outputs from the NDS review will contribute in the development of a successor Vision and long –term development strategy of the country beyond 2022,” stated Dr. Gina.
He added that Eswatini was also reviewing the National Development Plan (NDP) covering the period 2019/20 to 2021/2022) with a view to put in place a new National Development Plan that will guide economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring low-emissions and climate-resilient economic transformation in Eswatini in the medium term.
The validation was attended by senior officials from all government ministries, the private sector, civil society as well as development partners, including the UN.
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07 April 2022
Eswatini celebrates World Health Day
On the 7th of April 2022, the Kingdom of Eswatini joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Health Day, with a focus on health and environmental risk factors.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Our Planet, Our Health”. The Ministry of Health brought together about 100 stakeholders to deliberate on the impacts of environmental pollution on health. Among the issues that were discussed were climate change and health as well as healthcare waste.
During a panel discussion, the Eswatini Environmental Authority (EEA) made a presentation on environmental pollution while municipalities presented on clean cities. EEA Director for Policy Planning, Mr. Gcina Dladla outlined that there was an emerging threat to health posed by micro plastic which may be available even in the water that people drink every day. He mentioned that from studies conducted by the EEA, 100% of samples collected from local rivers contained feacal contaminants. He added that air pollution caused by health incinerators may also pause a danger to the health of the people and urged that steps need to be taken to limit air pollution, starting in the management of healthcare waste. Meanwhile, towns and cities have complained that they were running out of space to keep waste and urged that people need to minimize the waste that they generate and recycle where possible.
Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi noted that the country was in the process of strengthening treatment of diseases such as cancer which involves radiation. She said such treatment may come with a lot of waste, hence there is need to think carefully of where that waste will be disposed. “When we look at all these diseases that are exacerbated by climate change you realise that our job as a nation is to try and get back to where we can reduce the emittance that we have into the air, water and the environment,” said the minister.
Mr. Bongani Sigudla, from the Environmental Health Department of the Ministry of Health, observed that COVID-19 increased the volumes and pressure on healthcare waste management systems, coupled with inadequate resources to properly manage such waste. He mentioned that the country is also faced with a shortage of containment and temporary storage facilities as well as inadequate technology and underperforming incinerators; resulting in poor treatment and pollution. The country is also faced with stockpiles of pharmaceutical and chemical waste, indiscriminate disposal of face masks and diapers as well as dysfunctional wastewater treatment systems, he said.
He urged the country to improve the regulatory framework and its enforcement, strategic planning for healthcare waste management, continual training and awareness as well as coming up with waste minimization strategies.
Acting UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Amina Mohammed, who was represented by the RCO Team Leader, Mr. Ben Ofosu-Koranteng, highlighted that the United Nations in Eswatini is supporting the country to conduct vulnerability, situation and needs assessments, and to create Health National Adaptation Plans (H-NAPs). “We also support the country to submit National Adaptation Plan (NAPs), comprising essential public health interventions, to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” she added.
She thus emphasized that the Government, civil society, nongovernment organizations and communities need to work together, empowering one another to ensure the continued delivery of essential health services during future extreme events such as COVID, while containing the growing incidence of environment- and lifestyle-related diseases.
“We cannot afford to lose sight of the fundamental truth that the climate crisis, the single biggest threat facing humanity today, is also very much a health crisis,” she said.
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24 March 2022
Invest to end TB. Save lives
On the 24th March 2022, Eswatini joined the rest of the world to commemorate the World TB Day.
The commemoration, which was graced by the Minister of Health, Senator Lizzie Nkosi and multisectoral partners, including donors, civil society and the private sector, was held at Esibayeni Lodge in Matsapha.
World TB Day is observed to raise public awareness and understanding about tuberculosis; one of the globe’s deadliest infectious diseases and highlight its devastating health, social and economic impacts.
The theme for this year, “Invest to end TB. Save lives”, emphasizes the urgent need to invest the resources necessary to ramp up the fight against TB, and realize the commitments to end TB made by global leaders.
Eswatini was commended for making significant strides in ending TB but stakeholders noted that a lot still needs to be achieved.
The Minister of Health noted that Eswatini has seen a consistent decline in notified cases from about 7 000 to 2 045. This has seen the incidence drop from 1200 cases per 100 000 to 319 per 100 000. “The health system has managed to achieve a treatment success rate of 81%, in 2021 9% short of the global target of 90%, unfortunately the death rate increased from 8% in the 2019 year to 11% in 2021,” she said.
Eswatini has also felt the impact of COVID-19. “The past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic saw deaths of those co-infected with TB and Covid-19,” said the Minister. “The Programme has set a target of less than 5% deaths due to TB, however, high death rates of above 10% still affect the final treatment outcomes.”
The United Nations Acting Resident Coordinator, Ms. Amina Mohammed, (who was represented by the RCO Team Leader, Mr. Benjamin Ofosu-Koranteng), told the gather that funding for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment services continues to fall far short of estimated global needs, and the United Nations global target.
In Africa, governments contribute only 22% of the resources required to deliver adequate TB services, with 44% going unfunded. “Increased funding from domestic sources and international donors is urgently needed if we are to counteract a reversal of the significant gains made against TB in the past decades,” she said. “At the current rate of progress, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of ending the TB epidemic by 2030 will not be achievable.”
Other speakers included representatives of Business Eswatini, Medecins Sans Frontiers, Baylor Children’s Clinic, and the Parliamentary Caucus.
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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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Press Release
03 March 2021
Next-Generation Regional Collaborative Platform Meeting Kicks Off for First Time with Regional UN Entities in Africa
BRAZZAVILLE – Africa’s regional know-how, assets and policy expertise will be more systematically channeled to the Resident Coordinators and United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) across the continent as they help countries ensure an inclusive and sustainable transition out of the COVID-19 crisis, UN Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group Amina J. Mohammed stressed as she joined the first annual meeting of the new Regional Collaborative Platform on 2 March 2021.
“Today marks the start of the next-generation collaboration approach for the regional UN entities to support African countries to respond and recover better from the COVID-19 pandemic and reignite the Decade of Action for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is aligned with the Africa Union Agenda 2063,” Ms. Mohammed said.
The United Nations has been making progress on its sweeping reforms to strengthen its support to countries, leveraging its capacities at all levels. The new Regional Collaborative Platform has responded to the growing need for enhanced UN coordination and regional collaboration in the face of the pandemic and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. It brings together UN regional expertise, capacity and data to provide analytical, policy and operational support to countries.
Yesterday’s discussion, attended by regional representatives from the Africa UN development system, focused on high-priority issues for the African continent to recover better from the pandemic and move toward the Sustainable Development Goals. These included accelerating the implementation of the continental free trade agreement; investing in youth and women’s empowerment to help countries reap the benefit of their demographic dividends; advancing home-grown sustainable and scalable technologies and digital solutions; building climate and disaster resilience; and continuing to support the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative.
Across the continent, Resident Coordinators and UNCTs are supporting countries in their access to COVAX vaccines and their socioeconomic response plans. In addition to the pandemic recovery, UN entities will work together to support sustainable development efforts in the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin and the Horn of Africa, and address the resurgence of Ebola, and climate crises with severe damage caused by deadly droughts, cyclones and locust outbreaks.
“We are still in a recovery phase for the continent. We need additional resources. Our low- and middle-income countries, as well as small island states, have lost a lot of their resources. They need more fiscal space. They need more revenues. They need additional liquidity to ensure we build forward better,” said Under-Secretary-General Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Although it was a transitional year, the regional UN entities demonstrated evidence of enhanced system-wide collaboration at the regional level. For example, last year, all of them joined forces to launch the Knowledge Management Hub on COVID-19 and shared a business continuity plan with governments to support their e-governance, e-justice and e-commerce for livelihoods, while the Africa e-education strategy was introduced to Resident Coordinators to provide emergency education to more than 100 million African children out of school.
“The African region is at a strategic juncture with COVID-19 recovery programmes and investments that we are making to enhance trade. All our efforts will yield desired results only if Africa’s people – our most important resource – feel productive, if they feel valued, if they feel safe, and if they feel secure,” said Assistant Secretary-General Ahunna Eziakonwa, Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa at the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
The new platform will engage with the African Union in April and accelerate its effort to deliver on its promise with an impact-oriented focus on implementations.
The Regional Collaborative Platform is chaired by the UN Deputy Secretary-General with two Vice-Chairs: Ms. Songwe and Ms. Eziakonwa. Its joint secretariat is comprised of UNECA, UNDP and the UN Development Coordination Office (DCO).
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Notes for correspondents
Agenda 2063 is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. It is the continent’s strategic framework that aims to deliver on its goal for inclusive and sustainable development.
The UN Resident Coordinator system encompasses all organizations of the United Nations system dealing with operational activities for development, regardless of their formal presence in the country.
Screenshots of the meeting can be downloaded here (©UNDCO).
Media contacts
Hiroyuki Saito, Regional Communications Officer
Regional Office for Africa, UN Development Coordination Office
saitoh@un.org
Maleele Choongo
Regional Bureau for Africa, UN Development Programme
Maleele.choongo@undp.org
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Press Release
14 December 2020
Statement of Condolences by the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh, Following the Passing of His Excellency the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini
It was with great sadness that the United Nations Family in the Kingdom of Eswatini has learned of the untimely passing of His Excellency The Right Honourable Prime Minister, Mr. Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini.
His Excellency was a passionate, kind, inspirational and exceptional leader; a man of the people and a fierce fighter for a great and a greater Kingdom of Eswatini where no one is left behind. His Excellency was a very close partner, a crucial ally, a champion and a valued supporter of the work of the United Nations Development System in Eswatini, for which we will always be grateful. He will be remembered for his jovial personality, his many impressive achievements in his short lifetime and his great sacrifice.
On behalf of the United Nations family in the Kingdom of Eswatini, I would like to extend heartfelt condolences to the Dlamini family, Their Majesties, the Government and the people of Eswatini in this difficult time. We are all devastated by the passing of an exceptional son and a great leader of this beautiful nation and pray for God’s comfort and strength to carry on with his vision of a better Eswatini post-COVID-19.
The UN Family has sent diplomatic notes to the Government of Eswatini through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
May his soul rest in peace.
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Press Release
16 October 2020
WFP News Release World Food Day 2020
Mbabane - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today joins its sister agencies in calling for global action to improve the systems that produce and distribute the food we eat, so that they can better withstand shocks including the COVID-19 pandemic that can spark alarming surges in the level of hunger in the world.
In many countries, the socio-economic effects of the pandemic – particularly loss of earnings and remittances – are heightening existing threats linked to conflict and climate change. The number of acutely hungry people in the world could increase by more than 100 million this year, according to WFP estimates. For particularly fragile countries, a slide towards famine is a real risk.
“‘The world produces enough food for everyone so it’s a problem not of scarcity but of access to nutritious and affordable food,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley, “Smallholder farmers in developing nations need support so they can grow crops in a more sustainable way, then store and transport their produce to markets, and ultimately improve their own livelihoods. When food moves from the farm, along the supply chain and onto people’s plates in a fair and efficient way, then everyone benefits.”
WFP, which last week won the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to fight hunger, has unparalleled experience in buying and distributing food. Every year, WFP increases the amount of food it procures locally from smallholder farmers, providing training in post-harvest storage and in how to access markets. The aim is to build dynamic food systems which contribute to community-based agricultural growth and the strengthening of national economies.
The need for concerted action to improve agricultural production while enhancing global supply chains and ending food waste is reflected in this year’s World Food Day theme: “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together”. The three Rome-based agencies - WFP, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – are calling for sustainable investment in food systems to achieve healthy diets for all. Without massive improvements in the food supply chain, many fragile nations are set to become increasingly vulnerable to financial volatility and climate shocks.
No one government or organisation can achieve these goals alone. More than ever, there is a need for global solidarity to help all people, and especially the most vulnerable, to confront the crises facing the planet – multiple conflicts, climate change and COVID-19.
The World Food Programme in Eswatini has created an innovative approach to increase incomes of small holder farmers, boost local economies and dramatically improve the nutrition for households and school going children. A staggering 45 percent of Emaswati children are orphans and vulnerable children , largely due to the impact of HIV and AIDS. Through the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme local smallholder farmers are delivering diverse, nutritious and above all, locally produced food to primary and secondary schools. Also, WFP is reaching 55,000 children, under eight years of age, in 1700 Neighbourhood Care Points (NCPs) across the country, with a hot and healthy meal five days a week.
“There is a need to move to a more sustainable food system that will adopt Climate Smart Agricultural which take into consideration the production of crops and animals with an advantage against climatic shocks and challenges thereof.” said Cissy Byenkya, Eswatini WFP Head of Office. “Also, we need to reduce post-harvest food losses, as this exerts too much pressure on the environment and increases the overall cost of production for smallholder farmers.”
WFP’s #StopTheWaste 2020 campaign highlights simple steps which everyone can take to prevent the huge amounts of food which are wasted each day. This forms some of the key priorities for WFP moving towards achieving Zero Hunger. WFP, FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture are strengthening capacities of smallholder farmers on climate smart agriculture practices, crop diversity, post-harvest storage, aflatoxins, market access and public procurement processes.
Another vital element in improving food systems is stopping food waste. WFP’s #StopTheWaste 2020 campaign highlights simple steps which everyone can take to prevent the huge amounts of food which are wasted each day.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @mobileVAM @WFPVAM @WFP_media or @WFP_Africa
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