Remarks by UNRC, Mr. Zlatan Milisic at the Launch of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2027

• HE Dr. Philip Mpango, Vice President of the UR of Tanzania,

• Hon. Liberata Mulamula, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation,

• Hon. Mwigulu Nchemba, Ministry of Finance and Planning,

• Hon. Zena Said, Chief Secretary, RG of Zanzibar,

• HE Pamela O’Donnell, HC of Canada, the Co-Chair of DPG

• Excellencies, Heads of Diplomatic Missions;

• Heads of UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes;

• Government Officials,

• Development Partners;

• Civil Society and Private Sector partners,

• UN Colleagues,

• Invited guests

Habari za Mchana!

It is a great pleasure and honor for me to be here, with the UN Family, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and our Development Partners, to launch the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Tanzania, which will be effective for a period of 5 years, from July 2022 to June 2027.

This UNSDCF is Tanzania’s first development cooperation framework following the global reforms of the UN Development System, initiated by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres in 2018. These, new generation cooperation frameworks, mark a new and different way for the UN to support countries, in a more effective, efficient and coherent way. The new UN Cooperation Frameworks also enhance collaboration for implementing development activities and the role of the UN in bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to work together towards national development agendas and the SDGs.

Mheshimiwa Makamu wa Raisi,

Before I go any further, I would like to say to you and your Government - Asante Sana! for joining the UN Family today; for your commitment to the sustainable development agenda and multilateralism; for your confidence in the United Nations Country Team, and the partnership and attention we received during the design process of the UNSDCF.

Mheshimiwa, This Cooperation Framework reflects the UN’s commitment to work together with the Government and people of Tanzania to continue, despite various global challenges, on the country’s path to sustainable and inclusive economic transformation.

Mheshimiwa Makamu wa Rais, hotuba yangu itaegemea katika maeneo makuu matatu:

• First on the linkages between the UNSDCF and the SDGs and National Priorities and Plans.
• Second, The delivery and implementation of the UNSDCF.
• And Thirdly, Our ask from the government and our partners.

The UN System in Tanzania has identified four strategic priority areas, guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which we seek to address through the new Cooperation Framework:

The First Strategic Priority area is People. Under this priority area the UN will work to improve the well-being of Tanzanians, both now and in the future. It will focus on adolescent birth rate, maternal mortality, HIV, TB & Malaria, Education, Nutrition, and Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children.

The Second Strategic Priority area is Prosperity. The UN’s focus under this priority is to increase production, productivity and incomes, and to help accelerate creation of decent formal sector jobs. This will be achieved through our work which will focus on food producers’ Income and productivity; Food Systems; agricultural practices; entrepreneurship, support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and financial inclusion.

The Third Strategic Priority area is Sayari or Planet, which will focus on supporting a greener, more sustainable development path, which includes better access to clean energy and technology to fuel growth and will enable more sustainable management of Tanzania’s wealth of natural resources.

The fourth and last Strategic Priority area is enabling environment, which is also about partnerships and peace. This priority focuses on broader issues of representation and inclusive governance, data access, development planning and financing, access to justice, sustaining peace, and the expansion and mainstreaming of gender equality and human rights.

The UNSDCF outlines a coherent plan of action and enables a coordinated UN response to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the National Development goals of the third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III) and the 2021-2026 Zanzibar Development Plan (ZADEP). The Framework also aims to contribute toward achieving Tanzania’s regional commitments and aspirations, including the East Africa Community Vision 2050 and the Africa Agenda 2063.

To ensure we strive for the delivery and implementation of the UNSDCF, the UN Country team will make specific efforts to:

• First, identify population groups and geographic areas that have been left furthest behind, through rigorous data collection and analysis, including vulnerability mapping and operational research, and to determine the best ways to bridge existing gaps.
• Second, establish stronger partnerships with the private sector and, based on the UN’s comparative advantage and convening power, support initiatives that increase sources of financing for development.
• Third, support service delivery through technical capacity development and implementation of norms, standards and international commitments.
• And lastly, establish a more adaptive, flexible programming response to the contextual changes by using tools such as the Country Common Analysis, to enable a more real-time response to the needs of the population.

Wageni Waalikwa,

This Cooperation Framework will build on lessons learned from the implementation of the United Nations Development Assistance Plan II and the assessment of the previous National Development Plan, FYDP II. It was developed in full partnership with government partners from the Mainland and Zanzibar.

Before I end my remarks, I would like to remind us that we are in the Decade of Action with only eight years left before the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals.  When the time to conclude this UNSDCF comes, in June 2027, there will be less than four years left.

The UN recognizes Tanzania’s development achievements over the years. We praise many important social and economic milestones that the country has achieved. However, there is still much more that should be, and can be done, particularly in light of the volatile global context and related shocks national economies are bound to absorb.

My ask to your Government, Mheshimiwa Makamu wa Rais, and to our development partners is to continue working together. The active participation and partnership from the Government and the development community in Tanzania in the UNSDCF formulation give me a strong hope that we will be able to deliver on our joint priorities.

My concluding words must be to quote the first president of Tanzania, Baba wa Taifa, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who said, and I quote

“Kama maendeleo ya kweli yana budi kutokea, watu lazima washirikishwe”

“If real development is to take place, the people have to be involved” end of quote.

It is my hope that together we will deliver a better future for the people of Tanzania.

Thank you / Asanteni Sana!