Malawi heeds call to speed up development commitments

Government has heeded a United Nation’s (UN) call to facilitate the speedy attainment of Sustainable Devel opment Goa l s (SDGs), top among them SDGs one and two.

Meanwhile, as one way of ensuring that countries are committed to achieve the goals by 2030, the UN has organised a Food Systems Summit to take place this September at its headquarters in New York, United States of America.

Speaking during a press briefing in Lilongwe yesterday, Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe said the ministry will hold a series of nationwide consultations to solicit input ahead of the summit.

“We are going to have up to four series of consultation meetings at national level and the last ones will be at district level in selected districts,” he said, adding that the first meeting will take place today at Bingu International Convention Centre in the capital city.

Said the minister: “Global leaders have realised that the current progress towards the achievement of global development commitments has been too slow and that at the current pace, most SDGs will not be achieved, especially SDGs one and two; hence, this call.”

UN resident coordinator Maria Jose Torres said there is need for countries to share and learn from each other.

She said she believes that . Malawi has something it can share with the world

“We really need the voi c e of Malawi in that global discussion. There are already good practices and I know that the summit will give Malawi an opportunity to share with others, especially considering that government is going to solicit views from the people,” said Torres.

SDG one calls for an end to poverty while SDG two urges countries to eradicate hunger.

The two goals are part of 17 SDGs UN member States have been tasked to attain by the year 2030.