ZIMBABWE is confronted with significant development challenges towards making progress in attaining United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Speaking during the Zimbabwe United Nations Sustainable Development Co-operation Framework mid-term review meeting in Harare yesterday, UN resident humanitarian co-ordinator Edward Kallon, however, noted that the government of Zimbabwe and the global diplomatic and peace body had made significant progress.
“The latest SDG index highlights the need for tailored solutions to address poverty, economic growth, inequality, climate change, disaster risk management, and institutional strengthening,” Kallon said.
“Integrated, cross-cutting policies are essential to advance these transitions.”
Kallon cited the need to establish policy and regulatory frameworks, development financing as well as investment and capacity-building of public institutions and civil society organisations to enhance their role to undertake development projects.
He applauded government’s development partners and donors for financial contributions, which make up more than 90% of the funding for UN-supported developmental programmes and humanitarian response efforts in Zimbabwe.
“For instance, out of the over US$1,2 billion disbursed in the past two years and half, joint programmes contributed approximately US$160 million.
“This includes the US$90 million Health Resilience Fund and the US$9,5 million ZIM-ECO2 projects, underscoring your critical role for UN agencies to work together,” he said.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Martin Rushwaya acknowledged the challenges faced by the government in implementing the UN SDGs.
Rushwaya, however, said government had decentralised responsibilities to provincial and local authorities to effectively contribute to their development at a local level.
“The capacitation of communities and authorities at the lowest level is the government’s key priority so as to achieve economic participation and resource utilisation in line with our home-grown social and economic development mantra,” he said.