News / National
Zimbabwe lacks political will, financing to implement SDGs
17 Sep 2024 at 06:44hrs | Views
Zimbabwe is struggling to make significant progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to a lack of political will and financial resources, according to a recent statement by the United Nations (UN). This issue has been compounded by the country’s ongoing economic challenges and a lack of a comprehensive budget framework since 2019.
As Zimbabwe prepares to participate in the Summit of the Future in New York next week, the UN has highlighted the critical need for a robust financing plan to advance the SDGs. UN resident co-ordinator Edward Kallon emphasized that without a comprehensive budget, the country’s efforts to achieve the SDGs are likely to be ineffective.
"We want the total budget to implement the SDGs in Zimbabwe, but we need to work with the government to see what that amount is. That is what we need. We need it or else we are not going to be able to make any big impact," Kallon told NewsDay during the Summit's Consultative Stakeholders Meeting in Harare last week.
Since 2019, Zimbabwe has struggled with economic recession and stagnation, exacerbating the challenge of funding SDG initiatives. The UN had previously urged Zimbabwean authorities to enhance implementation and monitoring mechanisms to achieve the SDGs, despite the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
Kallon clarified that corruption and manipulation are not the primary barriers to implementing the SDGs in Zimbabwe. Instead, he pointed out that the fundamental issue is the absence of a financial framework. "Actually, the budget is needed. If you don't have the money, what do you do? First you get the money, then you talk about manipulation. There's no money like that, but we need to know how much it costs. In other countries, we have calculated it actually," Kallon explained.
The SDGs represent a global effort to end poverty, protect the planet, and improve the quality of life for all people. The UN’s emphasis on the need for a clear and comprehensive budget reflects the urgency of addressing financial gaps to ensure that Zimbabwe can effectively contribute to these universal goals.
As the country heads to the international summit, the focus will be on securing the necessary financial resources and political commitment to drive meaningful progress on the SDGs.
As Zimbabwe prepares to participate in the Summit of the Future in New York next week, the UN has highlighted the critical need for a robust financing plan to advance the SDGs. UN resident co-ordinator Edward Kallon emphasized that without a comprehensive budget, the country’s efforts to achieve the SDGs are likely to be ineffective.
"We want the total budget to implement the SDGs in Zimbabwe, but we need to work with the government to see what that amount is. That is what we need. We need it or else we are not going to be able to make any big impact," Kallon told NewsDay during the Summit's Consultative Stakeholders Meeting in Harare last week.
Kallon clarified that corruption and manipulation are not the primary barriers to implementing the SDGs in Zimbabwe. Instead, he pointed out that the fundamental issue is the absence of a financial framework. "Actually, the budget is needed. If you don't have the money, what do you do? First you get the money, then you talk about manipulation. There's no money like that, but we need to know how much it costs. In other countries, we have calculated it actually," Kallon explained.
The SDGs represent a global effort to end poverty, protect the planet, and improve the quality of life for all people. The UN’s emphasis on the need for a clear and comprehensive budget reflects the urgency of addressing financial gaps to ensure that Zimbabwe can effectively contribute to these universal goals.
As the country heads to the international summit, the focus will be on securing the necessary financial resources and political commitment to drive meaningful progress on the SDGs.
Source - newzimbabwe
