Zambia has informed UN Member States that it is doubling efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Minister of National Development Planning Alexander Chiteme said Zambia remains committed to attain SDGs as can be seen from the country’s mainstreaming of about 86% of the goals’ targets into the Seventh National Development Plan.
Mr. Chiteme was speaking when he addressed the Ministerial Segment of the High Level Political Forum convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York.
He said Government will soon be publishing the National SDGs Baseline Report which presents a comprehensive assessment of indicators that Zambia is able to report on with the available data from local and international data sources.
Mr. Chiteme said the Government of Zambia conducted an analysis of indicators at sub national levels, in order to highlight the situation at the lowest level of Administration, so as to identify hotspots and be able to provide targeted interventions to enhance inclusiveness.
He informed the Member States and other stakeholders that Zambia’s Seventh National Development Plan, through which the SDGs are being implemented, has prioritised five key Strategic Development Areas.
Mr. Chiteme said the Government is providing interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in three keys areas, namely income, spatial and gender inequalities.
He informed the gathering that Government is putting in place the Integrated Rural Development Strategy, which is focused on reducing developmental inequalities through interventions aimed at promoting rural development, to increase access to electricity, market linkages, health, water and sanitation and education.
At continental level, Mr. Chiteme said the SDG three-year Report for Africa showed that the region had not moved at a desired pace towards achieving the SDG targets by 2030.
Mr. Chiteme and Muchinga Province Minister Malozo Sichone are participating in the Ministerial meetings being held under the theme: “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.
This is according to a statement issued by Chibaula Silwamba, the Ministry of National Development Planning spokesperson.
Rhetoric
Chibaula over tries, he should work with Emmanuel Mwamba.
Zambia’s sustainable development goals will be very hard to achieve with Lungu’s stagnant economy and mounting debts.Let’s not delude ourselves here.
Doubling efforts to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030? That’s a big joke bcoz we’ve been here since 1964 and little has changed.