Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Fashion Phiri has implored Zambian envoys abroad to operationalise the Action Plan within the specified timeframe if the country is to continue with its sustainable national development.
Prof. Phiri urged Heads of Missions to share the vision contained in the Action Plan with the rest of the diplomatic staff and for each mission to devise its own implementation strategy with the view of achieving the intended goals.
The Deputy Minister noted that there is also need for heads of missions to submit progress reports to the office of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Foreign Affairs within six months for ease monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the plan.
ZANIS reports that Prof. Phiri said this during the closure of the weeklong 2011 Heads of Missions and Senior Management Conference in Chisamba yesterday.
He expressed confidence that the outcome of the conference will provide impetuous to the Action Plan by enhancing visibility and productivity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ contribution to the implementation of the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP).
The deputy minister is hopeful that the ministry’s efforts of attracting investments will lead to poverty reduction, job creation, increase in tread and investment through the promotion of Zambia as a preferred tourism destination.
Earlier, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Lucy Mungoma said the Action Plan was developed through an interactive process characterized by open-mindedness and frankness.
Ambassador Mungomba stated that the conference provided an interactive process, therefore, facilitated ownership of the Action Plan.
The Conference was officially opened by Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande and yesterday, President Rupiah Banda also met the diplomats.
The weeklong conference covered various topics such as foreign policy, Code of ethics, regional and international economic communities among many others.
The Conference was held under the theme ‘Effective Diplomacy for Sustainable National Development.”
ZANIS
Action plans for what? Making Zambians more useless in their own country?
Rubbish