By Gomezgani Msiska

Lilongwe, July 10, Mana: Government has revealed that the country’s development progress has been severely impacted by natural disasters and war, and it was struggling to recover from the setbacks.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo said this Tuesday at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe during the launch of Human Development Report (HDR) 2023/24 whose title is "Breaking the Gridlock, Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World".

She noted that many countries' development was progressing well until 2018, but since then, things have taken a downward turn.

Tembo cited the 2018 Cyclones and the ongoing Ukrainian war as major setbacks, with COVID-19 further exacerbating the challenges.

She stressed the need for collective action to address the challenges by urging all Malawians to work together to transform the country into a digitalized country with improved education and health facilities.

 "It's not about one person, one government, or one political party; it's about all of us working together to leave a well-developed country for future generations," the Minister hinted.

Tembo noted that developed countries have managed to recover from the challenges, but developing countries like Malawi are still struggling to get back on track.

She urged all stakeholders to work together to address the challenges and ensure a brighter future for Malawi.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Fenella Frost said the report was significant in addressing global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and polarization.

"The World is at a critical turning point, we appear stuck with a lack of collective action to address these challenges. How do we get unstuck? This question has motivated UNDP to support the 2023/24 Human Development Report," she said

Frost pointed out that, "We must urgently take action together, both as countries and regions, to address the challenges identified, including inequality and escalating political polarization."

She noted that despite global progress, the world was experiencing a "gridlock" in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with many countries, including Malawi, struggling to regain momentum after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The SDGs are there to pull men and women across the globe to achieve their full potential and benefit equally from social and economic services," UNDP Representative added.

Frost singled out natural disasters, debt, and slow progress in achieving the SDGs as major challenges facing the country.

She noted areas of progress, including digital transformation, with 98 percent of Malawians registered for a unique ID.

"The government has made huge progress and this will help to unlock a whole range of savings for the government and best access to services for the population," Frost said.

She urged government to prioritize areas such as agriculture, tourism, mining, and manufacturing to drive growth and achieve the SDGs.

"We need to work together to address these challenges and get back on track to achieving the SDGs," Frost stressed.

The Report provides a comprehensive analysis of global challenges and human development trends, offering critical insights into progress and challenges in achieving the SDGs.