2 May 2011
ZAMBIA has made steady progress in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, visiting United Nations under-secretary general and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) associate administrator Rebeca Grynspan has said.
Ms Grynspan, whose visit to Zambia is her first to the Africa region in her current position, said the country had done well in terms of working towards meeting the MDGs by the year 2015.
She said the Zambian economy was growing at a fast rate saying the UN would continue supporting the country’s development agenda as well as the various efforts aimed at meeting the MDGs.
Speaking on arrival at Livingstone International Airport yesterday, Ms Grynspan said Zambia could also attain the middle income status by 2030 as outlined in the national developmental plans.
She was welcomed by Southern Province Permanent Secretary Gladys Kristafor and UNDP resident representative Kanni Wignaraja.
The purpose of Ms Grynspan’s visit is to see firsthand the development situation in Zambia, and to understand the role and contribution of UNDP to Zambia.
It is also an opportunity to contribute through high-level dialogue to Zambia’s plans to become a middle-income country by 2030, through implementation of the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP 2011-2015), as well as to achieve progress on the MDGs by 2015.
In Livingstone, Ms Grynspan would visit national heritage sites and UNDP-supported development work that is being undertaken at the community level on human rights and civic education, empowering people to be active in decision-making processes that affect their lives.
Zambia is a pilot country for implementation of the Paris Declaration and has a well developed coordination mechanisms involving Sector Advisory Groups with clearly defined roles.
At the same meeting, Mrs Kristafor commended Ms Grynspan for choosing to visit Zambia as the first country in Africa under her current position.
She also appreciated the UNDP’s support to Zambia in various areas such as the environment as well as in attaining the MDGs.
National Heritage Conservation Commission executive director Collins Chipote said the Government and commission were committed to conserving the heritage sites in the country.
UNDP plays a key role in sectors such as governance, gender, environment and it is coordinating a multi-donor programme to support the upcoming general elections and the electoral process in Zambia.
Further, UNDP had delivered a grant of $68.7 million to Zambia between 2006 and 2010 to support the implementation of the Fifth National Development Plan.
Against this backdrop, the associate administrator would meet and discuss with President Rupiah Banda, ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Health and the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
She would also meet representatives of Women in Leadership, cooperating partners, representatives of civil society, non-governmental organisations and the UN country team in Zambia.
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Continued here:
UN Envoy Praises MDGs Strides