JOIN DRIVERN TAXI AS PARTNER DRIVER TODAY!
NEW YORK, Wednesday, July 9, 2014 – Zambia has called for a people-centred post-2015 Development Agenda that will ensure equality, sustainable development and good governance.
During the general debate of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at UN Headquarters in New York this week, Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Hon. Mwansa Kapeya, said the overall objective of the post-2015 Development Agenda should be poverty and hunger eradication.
“The post 2015 agenda should be transformative, inclusive and people- centered and it should be rooted in the internationally agreed principles in the context of sustainable development, ensuring equality for all, renewed and strengthened global partnerships, good governance and mutual accountability,” Mr Kapeya said. “Equitable and sustainable development requires an all-inclusive approach with focusses on the most vulnerable and marginalised, including women, children and youth, people with disabilities and rural populations.”
The Minister said the development agenda should ensure development aid effectiveness.
“Timely, predictable and reliable Official Development Assistance which is equally spread across countries in special situations is important for development but also ensures equitable distribution of resources especially for these countries in special situations namely the Least Developing Countries (LDCs), Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS),” Mr Kapeya said.
The Minister emphasized the important role played by the rule of law at national and international levels in enabling investments and inclusive growth, promoting predictability and stability, combating corruption, illicit exploration of natural resources and illicit financial flows and crime.
The Post-2015 Development Agenda is a process led by the United Nations that helps to define the future global development framework to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – a set of eight development targets – that come to an end in 2015.
Mr Kapeya emphasized the importance of the attainment of full and productive employment and decent work for all that integrates the economic and social pillars.
On MDGs, the Minister said Zambia had made progress towards achieving the targets set for the 2015 deadline.
“Zambia has attained MDG2 and MDG 6. Tremendous progress has equally been made on MDG 4 on reducing Maternal, New born and child health (MDGs 4 and 5) although we are not likely to reach the targets by next year,” Mr Kapeya said. “More remains to be done on MDGs, as many countries like my own especially the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) and the Land Locked Developing countries (LLDC) lag behind in achieving the goals.”
Mr Kapeya said it was imperative that the international community work with the countries in special situations to accelerate progress on MDGs and to achieve the ambitious framework of the post 2015 development agenda.
Mr Kapeya and almost 25 other ministers from across the world attended the High-Level Political Forum.
Issued by:
CHIBAULA D. SILWAMBA (Mr.)
First Secretary for Press and Public Relations
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations
