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The Millennium Development Goals – Press Release
Gaborone: November 2007: Since 2006, after further government commitments in 2005, many countries have been developing national MDG based strategy. Some countries are embarking on developing local government based MDG strategy. Botswana is one example of a country that is, with support from UNDP embarking on developing national and district based MDG plans.

Botswana recognises that it will be at the local level where real action on the MDGs will be achieved – through locally owned, driven and assessed strategies and plans – that set the goals as central aims for improving the lives of local communities. Botswana acknowledges and attests this statement. As a result, recently some 80 district planners, performance improvement coordinators, community development officers and the plan management committees on development planning from all over the country, were taken on an MDGs training course aimed at assessing and strengthening capacity for MDG based district development planning process.

Local governments need to develop and implement a local approach outlining how they will contribute to the MDGs in their local area. This approach should be seen as a driving focus for a wider local development strategy and describe the main aims, policies and activities that will be carried out, in partnership with their local communities and other stakeholders. An MDG-based district/urban development strategy should therefore see the MDGs and poverty as a core aspect of the everyday work of local government - integral to each city, town, or municipal development strategies, policies and plans.

In Botswana, the Ministry of Local Government, in conjunction with UNDP, is currently implementing a project to strengthen capacity for Millennium Development Goals (MDG) based district and urban development planning. The project has two major components being District MDG Needs Assessment and Costing as well as raising District or Local Authority Awareness of MDGs. While the former is intended to facilitate the development of MDG-based district and urban plans, the latter should enhance the necessary local support for the process.

The partnership of Ministry of Local Government, Botswana and UNDP in planning and implementing MDG needs assessment at the local level commenced in September 2007, with the services of an international consultant provided who provided training on UNDP MDG tools and methodology for MDG needs assessment and costing. This part of the project involved three separate training sessions for 22 core district planners (Economic, Development, Physical and Land Use Planners) and the District Plans Coordinators in the Department of Local Government Development planning, Ministry of Local Government, 60 planners from the districts and about 50 Heads of Departments, who are sector specialist in the districts.

The training is also aimed at MDG awareness/sensitisation materials and carried a nationwide District/Local Authority MDG awareness campaign.

It also provided an assessment of progress made by districts in undertaking MDG needs assessment and costing at the recently concluded National Planners’ Seminar

Through this project the Partners have also engaged four research assistants and assigned them to specific districts to assist in the district data collection and MDG needs assessment. The Government, in support of the project and to enable the process provided 16 computers to the district
 

UNDP partners with Botswana for MDGs
Gaborone: November 2007: The partnership between the Government of Botswana and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been cited as an important ingredient towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Officially closing the Capacity Strengthening for MDGs Based District Development Planning Training Workshop, in Gaborone recently, the Acting UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Viola Morgan, stated that UNDP and the Government of Botswana have been working together for the attainment of the MDGs since 2000 when the Millennium Declaration was made.

“Since then, we have been working tirelessly with our many development partners to facilitate the achievement of these lofty goals,” she said.

The workshop attended by some 80 district planners, performance improvement coordinators, community development officers and the plan management committees on development planning from all over the country, was aimed at assessing and strengthening capacity for MDG based district development planning process.

At UNDP we recognize that capacity development is vital to development effectiveness and the achievement of both our national and global goals and vision. We also recognize that a country’s capacity resides at the enabling environment, organizational and individual levels, and our policy, programme and implementation support addresses capacity assets and needs at all the three levels, stated Morgan.

In addition to this training, a select MDG Core Group in the Ministry of Local Government has been trained as trainers. This is aimed at creating a pool of experts in MDG based district development planning to further drive the process.
This initiative on Capacity Strengthening for District Development Planning in Botswana is financed through the UNDP Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund (DGTTF). The project aims at assessing and strengthening capacity for MDG based district development planning process.

For her part the director of the Department of Local Government Planning, Mrs George, mentioned that because not enough awareness about the MDGs have not be created people at grass root level still feel the MDGs are an academic exercise. “I don’t blame them because we have not created the necessary awareness,” she explained.

Ms Morgan told participants that the training has now equipped them tools and skills about the MDGs to be able to articulate them to people at district level. “You’re now MDG ambassadors. You should be in a position to raise awareness on what MDGs are all about,” she said.

For their part, the participants recommended that there should be a fully dedicated MDG coordinator position in the Ministry of Local Government to oversee the MDG activities at district level. This position should be held till 2015, the date by which MDGs must be attained.
 

Countries need coordinated development strategies to achieve Millennium Development Goals
Gaborone: 30 July 2007: For a lot of Sub-Saharan African countries the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remain aspirations that are not operationalised because of poor and uncoordinated planning, says a UNPD official.

Addressing a two-day seminar at the Mokolodi Nature Resort, in the outskirts of Gaborone, for Botswana’s needs assessment and costing exercise for achieving the MDGs, UNDP’s Senior Policy Advisor based at the Regional Service Centre in Johannesburg, Mr Gana Fofang said “countries do not plan systematically to achieve the MDGs.”

	Participants at the MDG seminar

Mr Fofang stated that African countries face unique structural constraints that hamper the continent to attain the MDGs. He cited the high disease burden, dependence on low productivity rain-fed agriculture, as well as poor transport infrastructure among some of the challenges hampering development in Africa.

Mr Fofang said that Botswana can avoid the poverty trap by making deliberate well coordinated development policies to achieve the MDGs. He further stated that MDGs provide an operational framework for ending poverty trap and empowering many African countries.

For her part, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Ms Viola Morgan stated that the United Nations country team in Botswana as partners in development is interested in making sure that country achieves the MDGs. “Our concern here is to ensure that Botswana is on course to achieve the MDGs,” she said.

One of the consultants conducting the needs assessment and costing exercise for Botswana, Mr Allen Price, of     Conningarth Economists, said in gauging Botswana’s progress towards the attainment of the MDGs it is necessary to review both Vision 2016 and National Development Plan (NDP9) in order to asses areas of cross-over. He stated that scaling up the fight against HIV/AIDS remains the most critical challenge facing Botswana in her path towards achieving the MDGs. Mr Price also mentioned that while Botswana has a very sound economy in terms of financial resources “delivery raises a lot of challenges.”

The consultant stated that the realization of MDGs would automatically translate into the actualization of Vision 2016. For this to happen there is need for credible leadership and coordination, he said. He said the current situation where the MDGs are a pet dog of the ministry of Finance & Development Planning needs to be changed to place the leadership in the Office of the President from where all other stakeholders, including government ministries, parastatals and the private sector will be required to chart clear MDG strategies for those areas that concern them.

Mr Price stated that just like the United Nations has won the buy in of nations on the MDGs individual governments need to publicize and sell the MDG message to obtain the buy in from national stakeholders. Vision 2016 was cited as a case in mind which has a near absolute across all sections of Botswana society. This can be achieved through extensive public awareness and education, he said.

The seminar is attended by government officials, United Nations personnel as well as civil society organizations to interrogate an interim report about the country progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.

 

UNDP assists in improving judicial service delivery in Botswana
Gaborone: 25 July 2007: Effective service delivery is critical to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), says UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Kristan Schoultz. She said this at a two-day judicial case management seminar for judges in Lobatse, in the southern corner of Botswana.

	Dignitaries attending the seminar

UNDP is working with the Department of Administration of Justice in Botswana is to introduce the judicial case management system to improve service delivery with regard to the backlog of cases in the judiciary. Under the new system a judge might decide to channel some of the cases to legal mediation system in order to speed up resolution of cases without necessarily going through technical court proceedings. More . . .

UNDP donates vehicles to the Government of Botswana
Gaborone: 5 July 2007: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its HIV/AIDS Unit will be donating a fleet of vehicles to the Government of Botswana to assist in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The five vehicles, three Toyota (Station wagons) Land cruisers and two Volvo Sedans will be used by the Ministry of Local Govenment.

These vehicles together with a consignment of cameras are expected to enhance the delivery and documentation of the Community Capacity Enhancement-Community Conversations (CCE-CC). CCE has been applied in Botswana since 2003 to enhance community participation in the fight against HIV/AIDS, particularly to deal with stigma, discrimination.

	Some of the donated vehicles

The handing over ceremony will be carried during an inaugural meeting of the Project Executive Committee (PEC) at offices of the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) at a date to be announced very soon. PEC is made up of representatives of the Government of Botswana and UNDP.

Dignatories at the occasion will include NACA Executive Director, Mr Chris Molomo, UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Kristan Schoultz, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Gabaake.

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Tshelametsi in Brazil for film festival
Gaborone: 30 May 2007: Zebras' reserve goalkeeper Kagiso Tshelametsi has been nominated to attend an HIV/AIDS film festival in Brazil, under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Tshelametsi left for Brazil this morning.

The film festival, which is being organized by Sabin Institute started yesterday in Brasilia, Brazil, and the towering goalkeeper is expected home on Tuesday. The event whose theme is Life is Stronger than AIDS will be taking place at the I International Film Exhibition. More . . .

The soul at the heart of fighting the HIV/AIDS scourge
Gaborone: 21 May 2007: When Lydia Metebesi was growing up in the sprawling village of Serowe in the central district of Botswana, in the 1970s, little did she know that some day she would be at the heart of fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic in this southern African nation of some 1.8 million people. more...

 

 

 

 

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Speeches

Speeches from UNDP Botswana

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