United Nations (UN) resident coordinator Rabecca Adda Donto has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to suppor t i ng the country ‘s socio-economic development.
Donto said this in Lilongwe on Friday when the UN family in Malawi commemorated 80 years of
the organisation’s existence.
She said: “We acknowledge the challenges that Malawi is going through and we are committed to assisting the country to confront these challenges so that Malawi becomes inclusive, peacef ul, prosperous and resilient for the betterment of all Malawians.”
In his remarks, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango thanked the UN for its continued support to Malawi, saying government acknowledges and appreciates the UN’s on-going work and remains confident of continued efforts to sustain this long-standing partnership.
The mi n i s ter stated that amid overlapping global crises, from climate shocks to global health challenges and economic uncertainties, Malawi stands firm in hope together with the United Nations and all partners who believe in a better future for all.
Said Mhango: “The UN is an institution that continues to stand tall as a beacon of multilateralism, shared responsibility, and human dignity. For this reason, today’s gathering should not only be a celebration of history, but we must use this gathering to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to strong partnerships, collective action, and global solidarity.”
He further observed that over the years, Malawi and the United Nations have worked together to advance meaningful progress in health, education, governance and
humanitarian response.
“UN agencies have substantially st rengthened and enhanced routine immunisation, maternal hea l t h ser v i ces , emergenc y disease response, resilient learning systems, youth empowerment, electoral and justice reforms, human rights and peace building efforts, among others,” said the minister.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, a Salima Secondary School Form Two student Janet Kazembe, 14, asked government and the United Nations to always consider young people in the country ‘s development agendas.
“It is time the ideas of the youth were always taken into account when coming up with the country’s development blueprints. The young people must contribute so that they also have a sense of belonging to the country ‘s development efforts,” she said.
According to Dontoh, this year’s commemoration marks a milestone that is both historic and forward-looking: the 80th anniversary of the UN, saying: “Eight decades ago, the world emerged from the ashes of war with a bold vision—a vision of peace, dignity and cooperation. That vision was etched into the UN Charter, a living document that continues to guide our shared journey towards a better world
