Prime Minister of Eswatini, Russell Mmiso Dlamini, spoke in UN General Assembly.
He said Eswatini is committed to eradicating poverty through inclusive growth and robust social protection programmes and urged the international community to support these efforts by promoting fair trade, increasing development assistance and fostering partnerships that create jobs and uplift communities.
“However, as a small, middle-income country, we face unique challenges, including limited access to international financing, vulnerability to climate change and economic shocks,” he said, calling on the international community to support the developmental aspirations of countries like Eswatini.
“Eswatini has put forth a comprehensive SDG Recovery and Acceleration Plan, valued at $1.6 billion, covering diverse areas including digital transformation, renewable energy, agriculture, industrial expansion and social protection,” he noted.
“The current global financial architecture is not fit for purpose and must be reformed to make the financing more accessible and equitable,” he stressed, urging to support the reform of global financial mechanisms that have seen developing countries pay much higher costs than developed nations to access the much-needed funds.He also condemned all forms of violence and supported efforts aimed at silencing the guns across the world, particularly in Africa.
As his country continues to grapple with significant health challenges, he called for collaborative efforts in strengthening health systems, enhancing disease surveillance and building capacity for rapid response to health emergencies.
“Eswatini adopted a ban on single-use plastics”
Turning to climate change, he said his country developed a comprehensive strategy to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of this change, investing in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and disaster risk reduction.
“We are also proud to announce that Eswatini has recently adopted a ban on single-use plastics,” he said, calling upon developed nations to honour their commitments to climate finance and technology transfer.
“It is only through collective action that we can ensure a sustainable future for all,” he stressed.
“Ensure that no one is left behind”
“Ironically, Taiwan and its 23.5 million people continue to be left by the United Nations and its specialized agencies,” he continued, calling for their inclusion, so that they can also fully participate in global development.
“May we all embrace the spirit of Nkwe, which means ‘run’, and let us run together with accelerated speed towards our shared goals and ensure that no one is left behind,” he concluded.