Remarks at Launch of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026 and Commemoration of UN Day

• Good Morning Everyone and hope you are well on this beautiful day. 
• Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly
• Honourable Ministers present 
• Senior Government Officials
• Excellencies, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Charge D’affairs
• Members of Civil Society
• Media houses
• Viewers at home
• UN Colleagues
• I acknowledge all the people of Botswana, wherever you are in this vast and beautiful land.
• I acknowledge you dear friends. Wherever you live, whatever your background is, whatever your age, whatever your gender, whatever your skin colour, whatever your abilities, wherever your ancestors came from, whatever your faith, whoever you choose to love, whether you are rich or poor. I acknowledge you.
• From among you dear friends in Botswana, I especially want to extend my hands to those who may feel any kind of sadness, loneliness, exclusion, discrimination, any experience of being left out or left behind. And especially to all women who suffer violence. I greet you from deep in my heart.
• My name is Zia Choudhury. I am the United Nations Secretary General’s representative in Botswana and speaking on behalf of the UN family in Botswana.

2. UN DAY

• 76 years ago, at the end of World War II, over 70 million people had died as a result of the deadliest war ever seen in history. Families, communities, entire countries lay devastated. The 70 million included soldiers, but mainly it was civilians who died as a result of bombing, disease, famine and acts of genocide.

• From the ruins and despair, 50 Nations came together to say enough is enough, and to build an organisation, a network, a global family that would be United in their pursuit of peace, dignity and prosperity for all. What a beautiful, noble ambition. 

• Botswana became united with these nations shortly after independence.

• My boss, His Excellency Antonio Guterres Secretary General of the UN said recently “the United Nations was created as a vehicle of hope for a world emerging from the shadow of catastrophic conflict. Today, the women and men of the UN carry this hope forward around the globe. COVID-19, conflicts, hunger, poverty and the climate emergency remind us that our world is far from perfect. But they also make clear that solidarity is the only way forward.”

• United Nations Day, [on 24 October], marks the anniversary of the day in 1945 when the UN Charter entered into force. UN Day is celebrated every year, and offers the opportunity to amplify our common agenda and reaffirm the purposes and principles of the UN Charter that have guided us for the past 76 years.

3. The UN CHARTER

There is no better way to sum up what the UN is about, that to read the first few lines of the UN Charter:

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED

• to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
• to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
• to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
• to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

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• Friends, this may have been the boldest endeavour ever undertaken by nations to work together towards a common goal. One based on the fundamental belief in the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.
• The United Nations was created by the people and for the people. The United Nations is you, me and all of us. 

 Dear Ministers, Dear Friends. The words of the charter sooth me and inspire me in equal measure. They give me direction, courage and hope.

• Those words were written by people who had felt the pain and devastation of war. Who had witnessed the destruction of entire cities. Who had felt the sheer despair of waking up in countries where the people were losing or had lost all hope.

I can only imagine the horrors that inspired the United Nations to be created. And today, the words of the charter, are as relevant now as they Were then.

• We have too many wars, too many hungry people, too many people suffering despite the clear abundance of our beautiful planet, that gives, and gives and gives. Those suffering must feel despair and hopelessness. They must be wondering whether they are abandoned. Wondering if anyone cares. 

• Yes we care. The United Nations, all of us here together, we care. We have made huge strides in upholding human rights and serving humanity. But Our work is getting harder, and we have much more to do. And as leaders and agents of development we must maintain resolve and take strength from the UN charter. Let it bring direction, let it inspire courage and let it build hope. We must not abandon the people, not abandon hope, not abandon our resolve that all people can live in dignity and all people can share in the wealth of the world. It is within our reach.

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4. THE PEOPLE WE SERVE

• I am constantly reminded of the importance of the UN Charter in my life in Botswana. Yesterday, a colleague who is partially sighted told me of children with vision impairment who must leave the security of their families and homes to live far, far away, in order to find a school that can meet their needs.  He told me of children who cannot hear or see well, being dismissed as stupid and unteachable by those entrusted to teach. 

I met three teenagers in Ghanzi who I sat with by the dusty roadside to have a chat about their school life. I looked at their written work and it seemed to be at a level closer to that which my 9-year old in Gaborone is receiving. That was sad, but even sadder was that they were unable to express any aspiration or interest for further education of any type, because in their words “there are no jobs”. They saw no scope for social mobility. The gap is too vast.

• Several weeks ago I met a Bangladeshi man who was invited here almost 3 decades ago and has spent most of his adult life developing farms. He is not rich, but he works hard, employs Batswana and migrants, and has developed a deep, deep bond for this country. He said to me, “I love this country, and I have grown a business here, I have had my kids here and I expect to grow old, eventually die and be buried here. I love this country and the people. But I live in fear that they will send me back to the place I was born. That place is no longer my home.”
• Everyone of us in this room has spoken to and worked with a woman who has been subjected to Gender Based Violence, whether you are aware of that or not. It is a fact.
• However, everyone I speak to maintains some degree of hope in their hearts. Hope for a better, more secure, more fulfilling future. We must listen to them, hold their hands, and together turn their hopes and our commitments into action.

5. COOPERATION FRAMEWORK.

• The United Nations and Government of Botswana will today sign a Cooperation Framework, which is our bold agreement to reach those people. With Human Rights as our foundation we have developed an ambitious and caring map for what we will do together, with our diverse partners, to support all

people in Botswana to live a peaceful, dignified and prosperous life. A life where we respect our land and resources, acknowledging that ahead of us are many, many generations of our descendants, who must live harmoniously with nature and with each other.

 The Cooperation Framework is important because it is our overarching agreement for what this UN family will do in the next 5 years. These are a critical 5 years, as they are first half of our decade of action that aspires to reach the SDGs by 2030.  

 In the true spirt of the UN, as an agency of the people and for the people, this Cooperation Framework was developed with inputs from every corner of Botswana. Representatives from many diverse groups were heard. Even those voices which are often the most quiet. The battered woman. The abused child. Those who communicate through different languages, including sign language. Their voices are amplified through this Cooperation Framework. That inclusion of many voices, dear friends, is the spirit of the UN’s engagement.

  6. APPRECIATION

• I want to Thank all of the people who contributed to this document, including many Ministries, in particular the whole team at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, and especially the Programme Steering Committee (PSC) secretariat.  But mainly I say Thanks to the people who spoke up. You helped guide us, but Please don’t imagine that’s it!  We will remain accountable to you for progress made. There are mechanism and clear commitments to enable that. We will listen to you and we will encourage you to judge us and guideus. That, accountability dear friends, is the spirit of the whole UN engagement.
• “Inclusion and accountability”. My friend from The Botswana association of the Blind and Partially Sighted said it yesterday. Without inclusion, you cannot achieve human rights for all.
• Like the UN charter, we are also bold, courageous and hopeful in our framework and in the accompanying analytical documents, which tell the story as we see it. The UN family believes that the only way to make our aspirations a reality is to be completely honest. And we expect the same of all our partners. 
• We can get wrapped up in trying not to upset each other, but we are a family and families always work better with open communication, honesty, and respect. No matter how dysfunctional an extended family can be (!), these three things will help us. Open communication, honesty, and respect. 
• May I add Love? I love this country, and I love the people. I love the history, the geography, the potential. But true Love demands the Truth.

7. INEQUALITY

• The truth is that that inequality in Botswana is too extreme. We have long defined ourselves as the nation that went from poorest to richest. The nation that remained peaceful while others fell to conflict. The nation that invested its wealth most wisely, and with least corruption. AND WE ARE RIGHTLY PROUD, EVEN ASTONISHED, at these achievements.
• But now, our challenge is that of inequality. It has started to define us. Inequality such as we have in Botswana, can easily lead to a new generation to forget the achievements we are proud of. Just as most people can’t remember world wars, or life before immunisation, or even the horrors and indignities of apartheid in our neighbouring countries. A new generation can forget why their parents fought so hard for human rights in the first place. They rightly judge history through the reality of their present life today.
• Inequality can wash away our achievements, leaving behind not pride, but shame. Not joy, but despair. Not cooperation, but confrontation.
• It easy from this side of the fence in our urban idyll, when we only travel occasionally to fancy lodges or cattle posts in rural Botswana, to become distanced from the reality.
• We don’t have to go far or look far to see inequality. One lunch may be more than a month salary for the woman who looks after our kids. One kid is wondering which foreign university to go to, another barely makes it through primary school. One pays for the finest private health care, one walks miles and miles to find a clinic where there are no medicines.
• We need to reach even deeper to see how inequality becomes intergenerational. A very painful indictor of all us, especially if you live with children. 30% of all children in Botswana are malnourished. [Quality of food, quantity of food, diversity of food, health of child and mother, age of mother.] These 30% of children are stunted in mental and physical development and now have a disadvantage for life.
• Our Cooperation Framework keeps these facts in mind. We have five outcomes 

Outcome 1: By 2026, gender inequality is reduced, and women and girls are empowered to access their human rights and participate in and benefit from inclusive development. 

Outcome 2: By 2026, all people, particularly vulnerable and marginalized groups, have equitable access to quality services of health, nutrition, education and social protection

Outcome 3: By 2026, Botswana sustainably uses and actively manages its diverse natural resources, improves food security and effectively addresses climate change vulnerability. 

 Outcome 4: By 2026, Botswana has strengthened resilience to shocks and emergencies, and is on a sustainable, equitable economic trajectory, reducing levels of inequality, poverty and unemployment. 

Outcome 5: By 2026, Botswana is a just society, where leaders are accountable, transparent and responsive, corruption is reduced, and people are empowered to access information, services and opportunities and participate in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods

• We are extremely proud and hopeful for having gender equality and women’s empowerment at the centre of our new Cooperation Framework.

• We are reaffirming that we don’t believe sustainable development exists where half of the population is left behind and this is our vision of the future, where inequalities between men and women have no place. 

So let me close, with our commitment to the people of Botswana.

• We will work closely with all interested partners to implement this Cooperation Framework. Government, NGOs, Private sector, academia, media and all. We can only do it together. • We will remain aligned to the priorities of National Development Plans, Vision 2036 and Agenda 2063. We will remain agile in the face of any major changes, like COVID.
• We will make the Cooperation Framework accessible to the people of Botswana, we will report to you on our collective progress, and we will seek your guidance to keep us on track
• We will be honest, transparent, committed, hard-working, and humble.
• We will remain close to the people, especially those who may look to this CF for direction, courage and hope.

The values that have powered the UN Charter for the last 76 years — peace, development, human rights, and opportunity for all — have no expiry date. As we mark UN Day, let’s unite behind these ideals, and live up to the full promise, potential and hope of the United Nations. 

ENDS