Story by Stanley James
GOVERNMENT and United Nations (UN) agencies operating in the country have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on socio-economic development initiatives.
The move follows high-level discussions held in Harare aimed at enhancing technical and financial support for national development programmes in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the National Development Strategy (NDS).
Speaking on the outcomes of the meeting, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe, Ambassador Edward Kallon, highlighted the resilience of the country in the face of multiple challenges over the past four years.
“The evaluation rightly suites with the cooperation framework within the realities that Zimbabwe faced or experienced during the past four years, climate shocks, macroeconomic volatility and fiscal priorities, despite these pressures the country continues to record progress in several sectors such as health, agriculture, digital transformation and climate policy,” he said.
For government, it is all about strengthening cooperation with UN agencies that can help the country achieve its development goals.
“Allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Zimbabwe for the strong support of partnerships throughout the evaluation process, the objective of this meeting is therefore to validate the findings of the evaluation so that it becomes not only a record of past performances, but a forward looking instrument that guides us in delivering more efficiently on the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Development Strategy,” the Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Reverend Paul Damasane said.
The discussions underscore a shared commitment to mobilising technical expertise and financial resources to support Zimbabwe’s socio-economic transformation, setting a platform for more coordinated efforts between government and UN agencies.
