Lijeng Ranooe

THE United Nations (UN) for Lesotho says it is determined to increase its advocacy and partnerships for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

These 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities.

Speaking at the Innovations and Partnerships for SDGs workshop in Maseru this week, UN Resident Coordinator for Lesotho, Salvator Niyonzima, said the UN was committed to achieving SDGs and stressed the importance of the various sectors working together.

“The UN system in Lesotho is committed to the principles of the SDGs and will support Lesotho in this regard as well as achieving the country’s national development goals,” Mr Niyonzima said.

“Our meeting aims to strengthen our outreach and deepen our partnerships to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; no single sector will be able to deliver on the SDGs alone.

“The private sector shares many of the same interests and goals as government in terms of creating more resilient and prosperous societies and markets, since business also needs stable societies in order to thrive.

“Lesotho’s progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has shown mixed results.  While the country has made progress in the areas of education, gender equality, the environment and global partnership for development, Lesotho fared less in the health and poverty -related MDGs

“We are in the process of formulating the next platform for the collaboration of the UN system in Lesotho to set out how to support the country in achieving its national development priorities for the next five years. The achievements of the SDGs are the centre of this plan.”

He said the UN in Lesotho was proud of its partnership with the private sector, youth, academia and other stakeholders to support the country and encourage innovation through new approaches and perspectives to develop solutions to achieve the SDGs.

“Science, technology and innovation are key to fostering the implementation of the SDGs.  The private sector has the power of innovation and ability to create many of solutions to address the challenges the world is facing today.

“Partnerships are essential to achieving the SDGs and the partnerships with the academia and private sector most especially is something that Agenda 2030 aims to underscore.   We need more companies to accelerate their investments and business activities to deliver on the global goals,” Mr Niyonzima said.