By EPN Reporter
MBABANE-Eswatini has committed itself to work hard so that by 2030, it has achieved the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN), despite the challenges being faced by the country.
Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini said Eswatini remained committed to ensuring that plans were in place to address inclusiveness so that no one was left behind. He said this during the G77 and China Summit, which took place in Kampala, Uganda. The summit was held on Sunday (January 21, 2024) and Monday (January 22, 2024). The theme of the summit was: “Leaving No One Behind.”
The prime minister said Eswatini, like most member states, adopted the SDGs, with the aim of transforming the lives of all Emaswati. Furthermore, development and national cooperation frameworks have fully integrated the SDGs as key targets for achieving sustainable development, according to the prime minister.
He said the country’s development path was currently well articulated in several long-term, and medium-term plans and other policy documents. “Our most recent National Development Plan has set national priorities that aim to address the issues of sustainable and inclusive development and target mostly the ones that remain left behind by ensuring access to basic living needs such as water, energy, health, and education, amongst others,” Dlamini said.
Moreover, in view of the derailed implementation of the Agenda 2030, the Kingdom of Eswatini, according to the prime minister, had invested in the development of an SDG Rescue and Acceleration Plan, which set the pathway to ensure that the country achieved the 2030 Agenda over the remaining 5-6 years.
The plan called for investment in curbing poverty; industrialisation and employment creation, digital transformation, gender equality, quality health and education, enhanced agriculture systems, increasing access to water and sanitation, and clean and sustainable energy.
It also included strengthened systems for Monitoring and Evaluation to ensure that the country continuously gauged its progress towards achieving the SDGs. “As Eswatini we strongly believe in a democratic, consultative, and participatory development planning that involves everyone and ensures inclusiveness,” he said.
