The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane said the Lesotho Strategic Prioritisation Exercise comes at an opportune time when the government has extended the NSDP II, giving an opportunity to work towards economic growth that Lesotho envisioned back.
She said this when officially opening the three-day Lesotho Strategic Prioritisation Exercise workshop aimed for Lesotho to identify priorities and results to be achieved under the upcoming Cooperation Framework.
She said Lesotho is anticipated to achieve rapid economic growth by striving to achieve the following key priority areas of sustainable development thus; Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Private Sector Led-job Creation, Human Development and Social Transformation, Infrastructure Development, Good Governance and Accountability, and Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change.
She, therefore, expressed gratitude to the UN system for its support to the Government of Lesotho, and also thanked all stakeholders for contributing to the success of the current UNDAF.
She said the new Cooperation Framework will be centered around Lesotho’s national priorities, encouraging all ministries to take ownership of the CF and engage fully in all consultations hence expressed hope that the new UN Cooperation Framework will be well aligned to support the development aspirations of Basotho.
The UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Amada Khosi Mukwashi said the United Nations was set up to safeguard the dignity and well-being of every human being, thus championship, peace, security, development, environmental, human, and social development.
“Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made based on the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty,” she stressed.
She said the United Nations Assistance Development Framework (UNDAF) 2019- 2023, the framework was developed based on the country’s agenda, and its priorities are based on the NSDP II.
She said the cooperation framework will come into effect in 2024 and will be the most important planning instrument for the UN as a collective response to the national priorities and plans of the government of Lesotho.
The Cooperation Framework is a core instrument for providing a coherent, strategic direction for UN development activities by all UN entities in Lesotho. It guides the UN system in planning and implementing UN development activities at the country level, as well as in mobilizing a spectrum of development partners beyond the United Nations.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Lesotho.
Source: Apo-Opa
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