Statement of the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Nathalie Ndongo-Seh, at the Joint National Steering Committee (NSC) High-Level Meeting

Honorable Minister of Economic Planning and Development,

Excellencies,

Officials from the Government and Members of the Parliament,

Distinguished partners,

CEOs and Captains of Industry,

Representatives from the private sector, civil society, the academia and the media,

Colleagues from the UN family,

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very good morning and a warm welcome to all partners present here and those joining us online. Today, in these very challenging times of COVID-19, we meet to consider how the United Nations Development System in Eswatini will channel its way of working with each of you and working better with all of you.

I am glad to note the wide participation of partners in the Government, the international community, civil society, the private sector, research and academic institutions, and the media. Your presence will ensure stimulating and productive discussions aimed at learning from our previous engagement, programmes, challenges and achievements under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 2016-2020). Together, we will brainstorm on strategic priorities and outcomes in the upcoming United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2021-2025 developed by the UN and partners to support Eswatini priorities for development and economic growth.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Before going any further, I would like to acknowledge and commend the leadership and strong support provided by the Government of Eswatini in this process. For more than a year now, since April 2019 in fact, the Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Dr. Thambo Gina and his team have worked very closely with the UN family. Through the National Development Plan and the Government Strategic Roadmap, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development has provided us with a clear set of priorities that aim to address Eswatini’s social, economic and development agenda in a way that leads to transformative change in the life of every Liswati.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are holding this meeting against a backdrop of disruption triggered by the global humanitarian and health crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic, which is having devastating economic and social impacts around the word, including here in Eswatini.

As most of you would know, we are in the last Decade of ambitious action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The Decade of Action calls for accelerating sustainable solutions to the world's major challenges ranging from poverty and gender to climate change, inequality and closing the finance gap. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini in March 2020 has further exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic inequalities; and it thus poses a threat not only to economic growth – at the local, regional and international levels - but also to the realization of the 2030 Agenda pledge to leave no one behind (LNOB).

We congratulate the leadership of His Majesty King Mswati III and the Government led by H.E. Ambrose Dlamini for drawing up a Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan aimed at saving the economy and livelihoods. The Plan aims to resuscitate the economy and reignite economic growth through high impact private sector-led projects that will be implemented as soon as the country comes out of the State of Emergency. The Plan is short-term (18 months) with economic stimulus for a large number of productive activities

Ladies and gentlemen,

The development of this cooperation framework represents a milestone for Eswatini as the country is among the first 10 African countries to make this transition in line with the aspirations of the world leaders when they endorsed the Reform of the UN Development System. The Eswatini UNSDCF articulates the collective vision of the UN Development System in Eswatini for 2021-2025.

It has been developed through a highly participatory, inclusive and transparent process, including consultations with the Government, civil society, academia, non-governmental organizations and the private sector between April 2019 and August 2020. It is fully aligned to the public service, natural resource, human and social development and economic recovery and growth priorities highlighted in Ewatini’s 2019-2021 National Development Plan (NDP) and its 2019-2021 Strategic Road Map (SRM). The NDP and SRM provide the national vision to guide the development of 2021 – 2025 UNSDCF.

Although initiated in 2019, the framework has been prepared in the context of a system-wide response to the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic in the country.    

Responding effectively to this unprecedented crisis and building back better will require continued partnership between the UN, the Government of Eswatini, its development partners, academia, the private sector, civil society and other key stakeholders, as well as between UN agencies. The UNSDCF provides a platform for these partnerships and a framework through which recovery and development can be realized.

Moreover, the Cooperation Framework is substantively based on the 2020 UN Eswatini Common Country Analysis and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly its Prosperity, People, Planet (3 Ps) components, which also serve as the strategic priorities for the Cooperation Framework.

The overall goal of the United Nations’ support to Eswatini from 2021-2015 is to support “A prosperous, just and resilient Eswatini where no one is left behind”.  Through its Prosperity, People and Planet priority areas, the UNSDCF presents the UN’s offer to the Government of Eswatini for 2021-2025 through Outcomes that will be presented or unveiled here today in sort of a grand finale. 

Finally, Ladies and gentlemen,

2020 is a special year for the United Nations at large. The UN is marking its 75th anniversary since it was established. From October last year to date, we have held 15 dialogues gathering voices from particularly marginalised groups including people with disabilities, PLHIV, LGBTQI, women farmers, business women, children and youths, the media, artists, as well as Cabinet members, Members of the Parliament and policy makers. In all these dialogues, participants underscored the importance of partnerships and on-going engagement with all partners, including at grassroots level. There is no doubt that going forward, partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagement, as well as dialogue and greater understanding will continue to be essential.

Closer collaboration in planning and delivery of projects, policy-development and other interventions with the private sector, IFIs, the academia, the media, philanthropic organisations, civil society and communities will be required for the successful implementation of this UNSDCF and thus, for assistance that delivers transformative or impactful change in the lives and livelihoods of Emaswati and advance Agenda 2030 in Eswatini.

I wish all of us very fruitful deliberations as we reflect on the challenges, solutions and strategies for shaping the future of the people of Eswatini.

I thank you.