Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Finance Deputy Minister Christopher Mvunga, says the timing of Sustainable Development Goals presents a valuable opportunity for Zambia to synchronize them in the Seventh Development Plan currently being formulated.
Mr. Mvunga was speaking when he delivered Zambia’s statement at the 2015 Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) meeting, a segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday.
Several speakers at the High-Level Political Forum called on Member States to place greater emphasis on national planning institutions and processes that could efficiently coordinate development programmes.
And Mr. Mvunga said the new global development agenda for sustainable development should fully address the specific needs of all countries in special situations such as Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
He says SDGs has accorded Zambia, and other countries, a great opportunity to decisively deal with the “unfinished business” carried over from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Deputy Finance Minister says Zambia’s transition to the domestication of SDGs would be based on multi-sectoral engagement of stakeholders, recognition of the goals as universally applicable and promotion of partnerships in a transformative manner.
He said Zambia’s development plans were premised on promoting a sound macroeconomic management as a pre-requisite to attracting investment, expansion of employment opportunities and creating fiscal space to support infrastructure and human capital development.
As part of the Annual Ministerial Review, four countries – Zambia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Philippines– will make National Voluntary Presentations on their progress in implementing the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs, and the transformation to the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Zambia UN Mission Chargé D’Affaires Christine Kalamwina, Ministry of Finance Director of National Planning Chola Chabala and principal planner Pamela Kauseni accompanied the Finance Deputy Minister to the meetings.
Ahead of the National Voluntary Presentation, Mr. Mvunga separately met and exchanged views with US Mission to UN Acting Representative to the Economic Social Council (ECOSOC) Ambassador Richard Erdman and Swedish Mission to UN diplomat Daniel Pettersson.
Sweden and the US will review Zambia’s presentation.
This is contained in a statement made available to Qfm by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Zambian Permanent Mission to the United Nations Chibaula Silwamba.