As world leaders gathered today at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to focus on laying the groundwork for a new sustainable development agenda, the President of Zambia highlighted the importance of building global partnerships to address issues of poverty and development.
In his statement on Tuesday to the opening of the General Assembly’s General Debate, President Michael Chilufya Sata said that the importance of the intergovernmental processes on sustainable development “is critical and cannot be overemphasized.”
Mr. Sata and the other General Assembly participants are due tomorrow to discuss ways to accelerate progress towards the eight anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to “set the stage” for a development agenda after the 2015 deadline.
Ahead of those discussions, he stressed the need for a single set of universally agreed goals reflecting sustainable development priorities which are “actionable, concise and whose implementation will resonate with different development and economic levels of Member States.”
He emphasized the need for such goals to be “prudently balanced” and “effectively integrate the economic, social and environmental” aspects of development.
“To this effect,” Mr. Sata said, “it is necessary to build global partnerships that are supported by commitments towards regional and international cooperation, anchored with mutual accountability, enhanced local private sector and public private partnerships.”
Turning to Zambia’s progress on the MDGs, he noted that the country has made “tremendous progress” on Goal 4, which calls for reducing by two-thirds the percentage of under-five mortality rates, and Goal 5, which calls for reducing by three-quarters maternal mortality ratios.
The national MDG report also indicated that while the challenges are still immense, Zambia has made great strides in its fight against HIV and AIDS, and ensuring that people who are living with the virus receive the best of care and access to social protection services.
The country faces challenges, however, in lowering levels of poverty and unemployment.
“My Government has taken an unprecedented painful step of curtailing subsidies on fuel and maize,” Mr. Sata said, thereby releasing “much needed resources” for programmes that specifically target poverty alleviation.
Mr. Sata is among the scores of leaders to speak at the annual General Assembly session at which heads of State and Government and other high-level officials will present their views and comments on issues of individual national and international relevance.
Word !!!
Cobra!!
hahahah.. i thought Sata was going to go there guns blazing and tell off those colonist to pay back the money they stole from Zambia during colonisation
The suit I/we bought him looks better, just 1 size bigger (next time). Unfortunately the shirt and tie are wrong. Who is in charge of Sata’s wardrobe kanshi?
I suggest Sata goes back to wear his traditional Zambian shirts, he looked better in those. Ama suit nayakana fye… Its just because are from Kamwala…
Snoring!
i wish he had also talked about the bald heads in the audience. why is he so selective? nonsense!
Now if only he could behave like that when he is back home.
Dr Kaseba, your husband has puffy eyes. There are lots of products on the market that reduce puffiness and redness to the eyes.
I would suggest a serum applied topically under the eyes, followed by some eye drops. Something simple as Visine will do the job. Make this his nightly regimen before bed.
You’re Welcome.
Lack of sleep on the lookout of………..the opposition and ongoings in Chief’s bedrooms
Okay,now talk about freedom of expression, freedom after expression, freedom of assembly and freedom afert assembly in Zambia.
Most of us are happy to see our president conveying an important message to the UN. The rest seems to be frustrated that he did not stultify the audience.
Speak for yourself you Bemba chitongo.
Though I at least could not cringe at his delivered speech, he however left me irked and baffled as to why he bowed to the security guard by the entrance to the congress hall!
Whats wrong with that?
OK mr prez, thats all well and good although we all know thats all talk that will go NOWHERE, please come straight back home and sort out the ABSOLUTE MESS in your party. I watched with shock as Kambwili tore Kabimba a new a****h ole on National Television and then i read the paper today and LCC are complaining that they can’t work coz of the current wrangles mu PF. Mayor Chisenga is even afraid to operate from his office. In kitwe, a PF ward Councillor and five cadres broke the door down to the Technical Administrators office or something ku council accusing him of working with Father Frank Bwalya. What kind of people are you??? Prez please, if you are passing through India, do a quick checkup and then rush back. It is not even remotely funny anymore!
icho King Cobra….living his dream! rubbing shoulders with the cream of the entire world….in the meantime, wina HAZAFA na HICHIKONKO!!
I am reliably informed that Kasebanya was the only one in the audience.
Lmao did he seriously bow at the gaurd yaba on a more serious note was anyone listening they were no cadres I m sure even the gaurds there are educated
1. Sign of bow: – both hands by one’ side.
2. Greeting/acknowledgement: – a slight bow.
I guess the president did a slight bow.