Partners Review Implementation of the UN Cooperation Framework at High-Level Meeting

On Monday, the 4th of October 2021, a high-level meeting of the Joint National Steering Committee (J-NSC) on the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2021-2025 was held at the Royal Villas, Ezulwini, to review progress in the implementation of the strategic document where partners have committed to raise USD150 million (SZL 2 billion) over 5 years.

The J-NSC was established to provide strategic guidance and oversight in the development and implementation of the UN country framework, which was signed by the late Eswatini Prime Minister, Mr. Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini with his entire Cabinet as well as the entire United Nations Country Team (UNCT), comprising 16 agencies, funds and programmes led by the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh who is also the co-chair of the JNSC together with the Minister of Economic Planning, Dr. Tambo Gina,

“Today’s meeting will update us on the progress and achievements made, the challenges encountered and the gaps faced in the implementation of Joint Workplans for the first year of the UNSDCF with the ultimate aim of finding solutions,” stated Dr. Gina in his opening remarks.

UNSDCF 2021-2025 builds on the achievements and lessons of UNDAF 2016-2020 and aims to support national priorities, as articulated in Eswatini National Development Plan and Strategic Roadmap; Post Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan and  Eswatini Socio-economic Assessment of COVID-19, among other key national documents.

In her remarks, the UN Resident Coordinator noted that the implementation of the Joint Work Plans was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the Tropical Storm Eloise, as well as the civil unrest.

“This rapidly changing environment is testing our resilience, our agility, flexibility and our ability to adapt,” stated the UN Resident Coordinator. “Fortunately, UNSDCF is designed to anticipate such changes: UNSDCF is indeed our shared framework through which we identify, locate and address multiple challenges simultaneously. Our joint review of Eswatini’s social, economic, environmental and political, landscape will be initiated in a couple of days as we update Eswatini 2020   Common Country Analysis report, in an effort to inform our Joint Work Plans for 2022.

“As the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to unfold, its effects are becoming clear. Even though we do not yet know how the pandemic will play out over the coming years, it is clear that COVID-19 is much more than a health crisis. Its impacts and complexities are multi-dimensional and present wide-ranging social, economic, and environmental challenges for countries and communities in all corners of the world, as we see them unfolding in our beautiful nation. Indeed, the pandemic is exposing weaknesses, as well as strengths, within our societies, government structures, and systems, calling for critical reflection to map our way forward.”

The UN Resident Coordinator urged partners to “think creatively and collectively about how to help Emaswati recover better, how to build resilience, and how to accelerate efforts to transform the Kingdom into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier.”

The meeting was attended by senior Government officials, development partners including the Ambassadors of the United States of America (USA), European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and Taiwan.