Botswana
REPUBLIC OF
BOTSWANA
PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
BOTSWANA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
154 EAST 46TH STREET• NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017
TEL. (212) 889-2277
---- ------------- ---- ---- ----------~ ----- --~------ ------ --- ------ ---- -------
STATEMENT BY
HONOURABLE MR. SLUMBER TSOGWANE, M.P.
MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA
DURING THE PLENARY MEETING
OF THE HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM (HLPF)
HELD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ECOSOC
17-19 JULY 2017, NEW YORK
Please check against delivery.
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Honourable Ministers,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
,. My delegation welcomes the opportunity . to participate in this Plenary
Meeting of the High Level Political Forum, which is held under the
auspices of ECOSOC.
2. Coming just two years after the adoption, by the UN General Assembly,
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the convening of this
plenary meeting could not have been more opportune.
3. This is because this Forum affords us the opportunity to inject the much
needed political momentum into the implementation of this global
agenda.
4. In this regard, my delegation fully aligns itself with the statement
delivered by the distinguished delegation of Ecuador on behalf of the
Group of 77 and China.
Mr. President,
s. The right to development is a right for all. We therefore must make every
effort to ensure that "no one is left behind" in our pursuit of sustainable
development.
6. The reality is that the adoption of the 2030 Agenda raised our people's
expectations with respect to addressing challenges of sluggish economic
growth, economic diversification, poverty, job creation, women and youth
empowerment, to mention but a few.
7. While encouraging progress towards addressing these challenges
continues to be made, the international community has yet to account for
millions of people the world over, who are still wallowing in abject
poverty, and for whom the right to development remains a dream.
a. Urgent action is therefore required at all levels in each country in order to
accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
2
'
9. We specifically urgently need to take action to unlock the Means of
Implementation as set out in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
10. In Botswana, building on the success we achieved in the implementation
of Millennium Development Goals, we have mainstreamed the 2030
Agenda Sustainable Development Goals into our National Development
Plan 11 and Vision 2036.
11. In an effort not to leave anyone behind, we have designed our
empowerment programmes such that they are inclusive of all the
vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in our society.
12. We have also put in place structures and mechanisms to facilitate
effective review, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the
respective programmes.
13. In the process, we have also recognised the need for instituting
mechanisms to facilitate synergy, information sharing, coordination and
collaboration among implementing entities, so as to prevent the silo
approach, as such type of approach is counterproductive.
Mr. President,
14. We are pleased that Botswana is among the 44 countries which will be
sharing their 2030 Agenda implementation experience, in this Session of
the High Level Political Forum, as part of the Voluntary National Review
process.
1s. Our experience has underscored the importance of tackling the issues of
sustainable development in a people-centred, democratic, transparent,
participatory and inclusive manner, in order to achieve ownership and
accountability in the process.
16. In the process leading to the preparation of our Voluntary National
Review report, we had to embark on comprehensive consultations and
also conducted awareness raising workshops involving stakeholders at
the District and National level.
3
17. These extensive consultations and workshops facilitated meaningful input
from all stakeholders throughout the country.
Mr. President,
1s. We have also come to realise that successful implementation of the 2030
Agenda is contingent on strong and effective partnerships; public-private,
civil society partnerships, as well as partnerships with cooperating
partners, including the UN system.
19. To this end, the need for reliable and up to date statistical data cannot be
over emphasized. This inevitably requires strengthening of the
institutional and technical capacity of the national statistics offices.
20. I am delighted to state that our national statistics body, namely, Statistics
Botswana, has been extremely effective in timeously producing reliable
statistical data in support of our national development planning process.
21. We are also proud that Statistics Botswana was among the national
statistics bodies which were co-opted by the UN Statistical Commission to
help develop the Indicator framework for the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development Goals.
22. This speaks volumes about Statistics Botswana's capacity and expertise.
23. In conclusion, Mr. President, I wish to re-affirm Botswana's commitment
to the effective and accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
24. Botswana stands ready to contribute in whatever way it possibly can to
the international community's efforts to achieve successful
implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
I thank you for your attention.
4
BOTSWANA
PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
BOTSWANA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
154 EAST 46TH STREET• NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017
TEL. (212) 889-2277
---- ------------- ---- ---- ----------~ ----- --~------ ------ --- ------ ---- -------
STATEMENT BY
HONOURABLE MR. SLUMBER TSOGWANE, M.P.
MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA
DURING THE PLENARY MEETING
OF THE HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM (HLPF)
HELD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ECOSOC
17-19 JULY 2017, NEW YORK
Please check against delivery.
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Honourable Ministers,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
,. My delegation welcomes the opportunity . to participate in this Plenary
Meeting of the High Level Political Forum, which is held under the
auspices of ECOSOC.
2. Coming just two years after the adoption, by the UN General Assembly,
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the convening of this
plenary meeting could not have been more opportune.
3. This is because this Forum affords us the opportunity to inject the much
needed political momentum into the implementation of this global
agenda.
4. In this regard, my delegation fully aligns itself with the statement
delivered by the distinguished delegation of Ecuador on behalf of the
Group of 77 and China.
Mr. President,
s. The right to development is a right for all. We therefore must make every
effort to ensure that "no one is left behind" in our pursuit of sustainable
development.
6. The reality is that the adoption of the 2030 Agenda raised our people's
expectations with respect to addressing challenges of sluggish economic
growth, economic diversification, poverty, job creation, women and youth
empowerment, to mention but a few.
7. While encouraging progress towards addressing these challenges
continues to be made, the international community has yet to account for
millions of people the world over, who are still wallowing in abject
poverty, and for whom the right to development remains a dream.
a. Urgent action is therefore required at all levels in each country in order to
accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
2
'
9. We specifically urgently need to take action to unlock the Means of
Implementation as set out in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
10. In Botswana, building on the success we achieved in the implementation
of Millennium Development Goals, we have mainstreamed the 2030
Agenda Sustainable Development Goals into our National Development
Plan 11 and Vision 2036.
11. In an effort not to leave anyone behind, we have designed our
empowerment programmes such that they are inclusive of all the
vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in our society.
12. We have also put in place structures and mechanisms to facilitate
effective review, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the
respective programmes.
13. In the process, we have also recognised the need for instituting
mechanisms to facilitate synergy, information sharing, coordination and
collaboration among implementing entities, so as to prevent the silo
approach, as such type of approach is counterproductive.
Mr. President,
14. We are pleased that Botswana is among the 44 countries which will be
sharing their 2030 Agenda implementation experience, in this Session of
the High Level Political Forum, as part of the Voluntary National Review
process.
1s. Our experience has underscored the importance of tackling the issues of
sustainable development in a people-centred, democratic, transparent,
participatory and inclusive manner, in order to achieve ownership and
accountability in the process.
16. In the process leading to the preparation of our Voluntary National
Review report, we had to embark on comprehensive consultations and
also conducted awareness raising workshops involving stakeholders at
the District and National level.
3
17. These extensive consultations and workshops facilitated meaningful input
from all stakeholders throughout the country.
Mr. President,
1s. We have also come to realise that successful implementation of the 2030
Agenda is contingent on strong and effective partnerships; public-private,
civil society partnerships, as well as partnerships with cooperating
partners, including the UN system.
19. To this end, the need for reliable and up to date statistical data cannot be
over emphasized. This inevitably requires strengthening of the
institutional and technical capacity of the national statistics offices.
20. I am delighted to state that our national statistics body, namely, Statistics
Botswana, has been extremely effective in timeously producing reliable
statistical data in support of our national development planning process.
21. We are also proud that Statistics Botswana was among the national
statistics bodies which were co-opted by the UN Statistical Commission to
help develop the Indicator framework for the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development Goals.
22. This speaks volumes about Statistics Botswana's capacity and expertise.
23. In conclusion, Mr. President, I wish to re-affirm Botswana's commitment
to the effective and accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
24. Botswana stands ready to contribute in whatever way it possibly can to
the international community's efforts to achieve successful
implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
I thank you for your attention.
4
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