New York — Botswana is committed to the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which can ensure that Batswana have improved livelihoods by 2030 and beyond.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Lemogang Kwape, said this in an interview on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States on Monday.

Government policies and programmes, he said, had been aligned to the SDGs and the country's Vision 2036 to ensure sustainable economy, social and environmental development as well as peace and security for all.

Regarding gender parity, Dr Kwape noted that since the onset of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi's presidential tenure, commitment was made to ensure that women take up leadership positions both domestically and internationally.

As a consequence of this deliberate political will, women now occupy many strategic positions of influence, Dr Kwape said.

He added that while SDGs were at the half way mark of their implementation, having been promulgated by the UN in 2015 with a view of being actualised in 2030, the world had faced challenges in meeting them over the past few years owing to various factors including conflict, climate change and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.

Now, countries of the world needed more than ever to work through multilateral institutions to strengthen their resolve to meet SDG targets and ensure better livelihoods for the world's poorest, Dr Kwape said.

President Masisi is expected to deliver an address to the 78th UN General Assembly today with the SDGs taking centre stage of the high level week of discussions.

This year, this annual gathering of heads of state and government from across the world at the UN headquarters is themed: Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity - Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.'

BOPA