RC remarks on World Environment Day

Programme Director, 

Honourable Minister for Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ms Jane Mkhonta

Manzini Regional Administrator Prince Gija, 

British High Commissioner, His Excellency Simon Boyden and Representative of the Diplomatic Corps, 

Eswatini Environment Authority, Board Chairperson– Mr Mlungisi Simelane and EEA Executive Director – Mr Gcina Dladla

Senior Government Officials

Representatives of Civil Society

Stakeholders, 

UN Colleagues, 

Members of the Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Sanibonani Bekunene!!. 

(Video on “Generation Restoration” will play just before RC Remarks)

On behalf of the United Nations Family in Eswatini - and in particular the UN agencies that are supporting the Government and the people of Eswatini to address environmental issues (UNDP, UNEP, FAO, UNESCO, WFP, UNICEF and others) - it is an honour and a privilege to share a message on this significant occasion, World Environment Day 2024.  Indeed, given the ravaging impact of climate change, there is hardly a UN agency that is not engaged with this important issue.

Allow me to congratulate you, honourable minister, on your first WED commemoration since your appointment to the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs. Your presence today demonstrates your commitment to protecting our environment even as the country pursues its vision of economic transformation

This year’s theme "Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience” resonates profoundly with the urgency and determination we must embrace in tackling the environmental challenges we face. As the UN Secretary-General emphasized in his message for today, humanity relies on land, yet pollution, climate chaos, and biodiversity loss are turning fertile lands into deserts and thriving ecosystems into dead zones, weakening their ability to support ecosystems, agriculture, and communities.

One cannot emphasise enough the fact that the climate crisis is an immediate reality for Eswatini and the region.  As we meet today, several countries in the SADC region have declared a drought emergency and will require support to the tune of $5.5 billion dollars to import food to meet their needs.  

In his statement for today’s commemoration, the UN Secretary-General has implored that “We are Generation Restoration,” reminding us that we must be the ones that turn the tide and build a sustainable future for land and for humanity.

In this regard, I wish to commend the Government of Eswatini, the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and the Eswatini Environment Authority for their recent successful initiatives which include:

1. Agriculture Advancements: Through ESWADE and the Ministry of Tinkhundla and Administration, the Chiefdom Development Plans, are setting up rangeland and environmental committees for effective rangeland management and community-driven land restoration.

2. The Global Climate Facility Readiness Programme:  The Eswatini Environment Authority and Eswatini Bank are working towards accreditation from the Global Climate Fund, which will enhance opportunities for the country’s environmental programmes.

3. Eswatini Environment Fund (EEF): Managed by the Eswatini Environment Authority, the EEF promotes grassroots environmental sustainability by providing financial and technical support to communities and civil society organizations to address national environmental challenges and promote sustainable development.

4. The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Implementation Plan: this ambitious plan prioritizes and institutionalises climate change interventions at all levels and received praise from UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for being inclusive and “leaves no one behind.” 

Honourable Minister,

Continuing with along the theme of “Generation Restoration,” allow me to highlight some key areas where I think we could demonstrate the urgency of climate action to restore our environment: 

• Coordination and a “whole of Government” and “whole of society” approach: A coordinated government approach would enable the leveraging of resources and capacities including strategies to access the climate financing space. It would also require involving all sectors of the economy and society - agriculture, water, health, ecosystems and biodiversity, infrastructure, energy, waste, industry, forestry and cross cutting areas of gender, youth, children and disaster risk reduction.
• Empowerment of Local Communities to protect the environment and restore land: Continuing and expanding the model Rangeland and Environmental Committees to further empower communities to participate in decision-making and conservation projects. Inclusive approaches that respect indigenous knowledge and rights are essential.
• Strengthening Resilience and Adaptability: Developing drought-resistant crops and integrating climate change considerations into land management practices are critical. Restoring degraded land improves soil health, agricultural productivity, and resilience to future climate shocks.
• Coordinated Action and UN Support: The United Nations in Eswatini has engaged in various activities through different agencies to contribute towards land restoration. For example, the UNDP, in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implements the Small Grants Programme, (approx. E1 million or $50,000 per entity), enabling civil society organizations to apply for grants for community initiatives such as land restoration. 

Eswatini's climate policy document, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), commits to reducing land degradation through restoration, tree planting, and better livestock management. The goal is to plant 10 million trees. The development of Eswatini’s Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) is also a pivotal step towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient future, that aligns national policies with environmental sustainability. 

Honourable Minister, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to reaffirm the UN’s commitment – together with our development partners – to supporting Eswatini’s efforts at restoration through providing technical expertise, resource mobilisation, and collaboration platforms to accelerate climate action. 

As I conclude, I draw attention once again to the responsibility we bear to be the generation that restores our environment. 

In the spirit of the indigenous wisdom that, “We did not inherit the earth from our fore-parents, but that we rather borrowed it from our grandchildren,” we must embrace this mission of restoration. 

Not too long ago, the UN Secretary General wrote a letter to his (yet-to-be-born) great great-granddaughter in which he wondered what world she will find when she arrives in the year 2100, a mere 76 years from now. 

- Will it be a world of relentless temperature rise, deadly droughts and famines, melting glaciers, and rising seas, communities ravaged by floods and wildfires and facing extinction, or 

- One of breathable air, better health, sustainable food systems, clean water, and robust, circular economies powered by renewable energy and high-quality green jobs?

Guterres concludes that “What we need is the political will to forge a peace pact with nature and transform how we grow food, use land, fuel transport, and power economies.”

He also implores that, “Wealthy countries must help less-wealthy ones cut carbon emissions and make huge investments in renewable energy and the protection of vulnerable communities.” 

Together, we bear the responsibility to be Generation Restoration! We have no choice!

Happy World Environment Day!

I thank you for your attention.