President Rupiah Banda has told the United Nations (UN) General Assembly that Zambia’s strides towards attaining most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 have slowed down because of the global economic downturn which the whole world experienced in the recent past.
President Banda said a wave of other effects such as climate change, has also frustrated Zambia’s and other countries’ efforts to improve the living standards of their citizens.
Delivering his speech to the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York last night, Mr. Banda called for innovative approaches and responses among UN member states to help ease the challenges facing poor countries.
“In my country, Zambia, and other African countries, the economic growth registered from 2000 to 2007 is now declining as a result of the global economic and financial crisis,” he said.
He told the over one hundred heads of state and government gathered at the UN that before the global economic downturn, Zambia’s economic growth suggested that the country was on course to meeting all MDGs except for the one on sustaining the environment.
He said because of the global economic crisis, coupled with the effects of climate change, Zambia was now facing serious financial constraints such as lower commodity prices, weak external and domestic demand for products and rising unemployment.
The President pointed out that there was therefore need for the country’s international cooperating and development partners to support her to quickly heave out of the effects of the global financial crisis.
“We appreciate that our cooperating partners have also been affected by the global economic crisis. Nonetheless, we urge them to fulfill their pledge of raising the contribution to 0.17 per cent of gross national income (GNI),” he said.
Mr. Banda said if the global development agenda was to help susceptible economies like Zambia to meet the MDGs in the next six years, the cooperating partners must fulfill their pledges.
The MDGs are contained in the millennium declaration that was adopted by 189 nations and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN millennium summit in September 2000.
The MDGs are meant to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, Promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and developing a Global Partnership for Development.
He however said Zambia was devising ways of withstanding the effects of the economic crisis if it recurs.
“My government has therefore developed a diversification plan to shift the economy from dependency on copper. This is being done through policy interventions in the agriculture, tourism and manufacturing sectors, coupled with programmes aimed at improving the business environment in Zambia,” he said.
Zambia was hard hit by the global economic crisis when prices of copper, which accounts for about 70 per cent of her exports, plummeted from US$8,985 per metric tonne in August 2008 to US$2,902 per tonne by December 2008.
“For these efforts to succeed, however, there must be expeditious conclusion of world trade organizations, DOHA round of negotiations,” he said.
He suggested that the international financial governance systems be reformed to avoid future global financial crises, adding that the changes should respond to concerns and needs of all nations regardless of status.
President Banda further proposed an increase in the voice and power of developing nations in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
“The reform process should aim to improve predictability of aid flows and emphasise reforms which promote faster aid delivery and less conditionalities,” he stressed.
On the United Nations as a principal organ for coordinating international cooperation and socio-economic development, peace, security, human rights, and the rule of law, Mr. Banda said the UN must be reformed for it to be more effective and efficient.
He added that the reform of the UN will not be complete without meaningful reforms to the Security Council, which he said should be made more representative, democratic and accountable to all member states.
President Banda noted that the decisions of the UN risk not being respected by some member states if it remained in the current status.
He reiterated African countries’ call for the continent to have two permanent seats with veto powers and two additional non-permanent seats included in the Security Council.
Africa constitutes the second largest bloc of the UN membership.
“This will address the historical injustice against Africa, while responding to the need to democratize the security,” he said.
With regard to nuclear weapons, President Banda urged the United Nations to push for general and complete disarmament that would include biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological weapons.
Mr. Banda said this must be done soon, stressing that “the demand of the time is that we compete for peace not war, for development, not armaments”.
And President Banda said there was now an improvement in the political stability of the in the Great Lakes Region (GLR) than it had been in the past 15 years.
Speaking as Chairman of the International Conference on Great Lakes Region, Mr. Banda reported to the UN General Assembly that improved relations between Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda and their joint efforts to address the problem of negative forces in Eastern DRC has opened opportunities for achieving sustainable peace and stability in the region.
He however said peace and security in the region was still threatened by the continued presence of some illegal armed groups such as the FDLR/Ex-FAR interahamwe, the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Allied Democratic Forces.
“The international community needs to exert more and sustainable pressure on the leadership of those negative forces living within and outside the region so that they are brought to justice,” he said.
On climate change, President Banda restated that concerted efforts, a common agreement and human ingenuity were important to tackle the threats posed by climate change.
“The resolution of our problems of climate change, economic and financial crisis, peace and security and human rights and democracy, depends on human ingenuity.
He said all countries depend on each to beat the effects of climate change, which was one of the major topics at this year’s UN General Assembly.
Common solutions are therefore required through a strong United Nations,” he said.
The theme for this year’s UN General Assembly is “Effective responses to global crises, strengthening multilaterism and dialogue among civilisations for international peace, security and development”.
The General Assembly, which was established in 1945 under the UN Charter, is a chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN and is a unique forum for multilateral discussions of full spectrum of international issues.
ZANIS
Global warming is a hoax…
Did Obama and the other G20 leaders sit in and listen to this?
I’m just curious as to who paid attention
what specific point was RB trying to address? financila crisis, climate change or nuclear weapons?
on 4 i meant financial crisis, sorry
How did climate change affect Zambia’s economy. Somebody tell me please. Did teh climate suddenly change in last 2 years.
Is it true that Zambia’s economy has declined due to global crisis. A recession is just that. It will end. Was Zambia really on course before the recession, or we are just using the recession as an excuse.
Whose responsibility is it to make Zambia’s economy less susceptible to copper prices out there? Is it Zambia’s or coorperating partners? Surely its our responsibility.
Why do we always expect others to solve our problems.
Besides there was completely nothing new in this speech, I am afraid. All of it has been in the media. What are these UN meetings about, really? Socialising?
That speech lacks depth,honestly how did climate change affect Zambia’s economy? Please hire people with writting skills not cadres you are surrounded with
Chilande lande no specific issue addressed
This must have been at a hotel room,stop cheating us.
The picture shown, it must have been at his hotel room.
Actually, there have been studies that have shown that the floods that we experienced in parts of the country were being affected by climate change. If you want to read more, look in the Guardian newspaper in the UK article on Zambia climate change about two months ago which highlighted the fact that in Western province, the floodings were becoming more unpredictable and more severe. Sometimes it is good not to just criticise without getting all the facts.
The article in question appeared in the Guardian newspaper on July 6th this year.
Zambia’s MDGs were and are just a myth. No one is doing anything to achieve them. No one is serious in Zambia.
#6, UK Zed Observer – totally agree with you. You raise some serious questions which need to be seriously considered. It is our governments responsibility to protect our economy from any global shocks. Unpredictable as these global economic factors may be, we need to demonstrate that we have employed some sort of risk management or contingency planning. A “What if” or Scenario analysis. It seems to me that RB feels he needs to explain to the super powers (master and servant relationship) why he is performing poorly, in advance of when he goes to beg for more money for budgetory support. I suggest Britain withhold the $60m they give per yr in this regard, so that RB recovers it from the $40m Chiluba has stashed in the UK.
14 continued. After all, whats the point in them helping us only for the money to be stolen, and that theft be tolerated by the President? Shame on us all for allowing a retiree to manipulate us to this extent.
RB don’t use the Global crises as an excuse. Zambia as always being in crises way before the credit crunch. So what are telling the UN
Vision less speech. Ba mudala tabakwata amano aba. Does he think the UN is for begging? Hasn’t he heard other heads of state’s speeches? God help us, we do not such a character for a leader – no ways.
LT it may be helpful for some clueless blogers to indicate that a picture you use is ‘from LT file’ whenever you re-use it. I have noticed that some blogers think that the picture ‘always’ comes with the current story in question.
Zambia was not affected but has been affected by poor leadership;; when money is being stollen and no one bothers to follow up . up to now Zambia has enough money to run the country well if some one up there will put his house in order .. just use what you have dont just talk
Zambia has been affected by climate change. The effects of climate change come years after. We had a drought some time ago. This led to loss of vegetation. Loss of vegetation and human deforestation leads to dry patched land susceptible to soil erosion. Soli erosion led to silting of rivers and dams. The electricity output from Kafue Hydropower stations dropped by 60%. Less power obviously led to outages and this affected production. On the other hand, our exports are not sold if the consuming countries have no money. It is a global village.
i agree with nshili mubemba, we have all the resources to make this country ecomically sound but due to very selfish leaders we have been plunged into a tunnel where we can not see light at the end of it. We need a leader who has the interest of the country at heart, not someone with a vision to acquit chiluba who made me leave zambia because l could not even afford to rent a house or flat nalelala mu sitting room ya bene
“He told the over one hundred heads of state and government gathered at the UN…” Yeah, right! Who stayed around to listen to this meandering speech? Mr. President, global climate change has nothing to do with government incompetence, corruption and mismanagement. Instead of asking for more money, he should use the $8.5 million in the zamtrop account, which his best friend “Chiluba” is claiming.
# 19 you are right. Besides, how can he focus on climate change, when he cannot even deal with basic sanitation in Zambia. He needs to focus on the basics first, before jumping on the bandwagon of climate change. Now that Chiluba is his top advisor, good Lord, where are we headed?
Banda expected in Venezuela
From Florence Mwisa, Magarita Island (Venezuela), Friday
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected in Venezuela to attend the second Africa-South America (ASA) summit in the latin American nation’s Margarita Island Margarita.
Communications and Transport Permanent Secretary Dominic Sichinga who is in the advance party said in Margarita today that President Banda was expected to arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas in the morning before proceeding to Margarita Island where the summit was taking place.
The president who would be accompanied by First Lady Thandiwe and senior Government officials would upon arrival join the official opening of the conference.
Mr Sichinga said the meeting whose theme is “filling gaps,…
Continued……………providing opportunities” was important to Africa and Zambia in particular as it would explore tourism, agriculture , including the enhancement of political cooperation among African and South American countries .
Mr Sichinga said Africa and South America shared in the UN principles of reducing poverty through the enhancement of economic development.
Meanwhile security has been tightened at the conference that opened today and is expected to culminate in the Heads of State summit on Sunday and Monday.– ZANIS
You really make it appear so easy along with your presentation however I to find this matter to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely vast for me. I am taking a look ahead to your subsequent submit, I will try to get the hold of it!