SDGs present valuable opportunities for Zambia – Mvunga

By Mutale Kapekele

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, which will take effect from 2017 to 2021 and is currently being formulated.

Christopher Mvunga - Picture by Chibaula Silwamba

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 last week.

The SDGs – a proposed set of targets relating to future international development – will be adopted by Heads of State and Government to replace MDGs at the latter’s expiration during the UN Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda to be held from 25 to 27 September 2015 in New York.

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 programs.

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).

The Deputy Minister said SDGs accorded Zambia, and other countries, a great opportunity to decisively deal with the “unfinished business” carried over from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mvunga said Zambia’s transition to the domestication of SDGs would be based on multi-sectorial 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.

Mvunga said the current sound macroeconomic environment, and existing policy framework gives Zambia an avenue to translate growth into tangible human development outcomes in an integrated manner.

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 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 US will review Zambia’s presentation.

This is according to a statement made available by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian Mission at the United Nations, Chibaula Sil