Zuma commits SA to honour UN Agenda 2030

NEW YORK: President Jacob Zuma has called on developed countries to honour their commitments to developing countries now that the world has agreed on a plan for the next 15 years.

“Events in the recent past have demonstrated that the countries of the developed North cannot insulate themselves from the challenges facing countries of the developing South,” he told world leaders, gathered at the United Nations to adopt this body’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yesterday.

“We call on development partners to not only meet their current commitments, but also to upscale Overseas Development Assistance, with binding timetables,” he said, adding that this financing was the main source of development assistance for developing countries.

He praised the UN’s plan for having a specific goal aimed at implementation.

Zuma committed South Africa to the UN’s goals, also known as Agenda 2030, adding that these had already been incorporated into South Africa’s National Development Plan as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

These goals are set to take over from the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals, which Zuma said had helped improve education, health, and gender equality in South Africa.

Child and maternal deaths had declined, and the fight against HIV and Aids had saved many lives, he said.

Zuma admitted, however, that Africa was still lagging behind in the achievement of these goals “due to historic reasons of underdevelopment”.

The 17 SDGs are aimed at ending poverty, upgrading healthcare, achieving inclusive and equal quality education for all, achieving gender equality, conserving and sustainably using the oceans, and addressing climate change.

Zuma read from his speech, and like all the other heads of state that have so far spoken on the development goals, did not depart from the script.

He has been battling the flu since arriving in New York City on Friday, which affected his voice, but yesterday his voice seemed to have recovered.

When he walked up to the podium, he put his hands together in a gesture to thank UN officials for allowing him an opportunity to speak.

Zuma was set to hold a bilateral meeting with French President Francois Hollande yesterday, presumably to discuss the COP21 climate change conference due to take place in France in December, and he is expected to give a lecture at Princeton University.

Zuma met UN General Secretary Ban KiMoon on Saturday, where they discussed peace and security on the African continent.

He also reiterated South Africa’s stance on expanding the UN Security Council to include African countries as permanent members. – ANA