Speech of the Ambassador of Ireland, H.E. Mary O’Neill, for the Signing Ceremony of Ireland’s Grant to UN SDG Accelerator Fund

Thanks Zlatan and colleagues for making us feel so welcome today in your new offices.

Ireland is a firm support of the multilateral system through our political engagement, our peacekeepers and our development programme. This grant is an expression of that support, a demonstration of the importance we place on the role of the UN in connecting people and institutions to knowledge and resources to promote sustainable development in Tanzania.

As we have reached the halfway point for the SDGs in 2023, I congratulate Tanzania on the submission of second Voluntary National Review. It was encouraging to note good progress across many of the SDGs, however we still must overcome daunting challenges if we are to reach the ambitious targets we have set. Now more than ever, we need the multilateral system to deliver for poor and vulnerable people and ensure that we leave no one behind

The grant of about TSh.10.5b will support, among other things, the Kigoma Joint Programme which is a good model of bringing together the diverse capacities of the UN system to support government, civil society, the private sector and communities to promote sustainable development.

This year we are making changes to how we fund the UN - using a flexible pooled funding modality for the SDG Acceleration Fund. This aims to enable UN partners to work even more closely together on the four outcomes of the UNSDCF. We hope that this approach will be an efficient and effective way of investing in development in Tanzania.

Kigoma is one of four priority regions for Ireland. We have been active there for three decades. We know, first-hand, the challenges it faces.

Despite those challenges, the people of Kigoma have demonstrated great tolerance and generosity in welcoming families fleeing war from across the Great Lakes region.

Ireland is committed to being part of building a resilient and prosperous future for Kigoma. We will continue to put empowering women and girls at

We know from our own experiences in Ireland that gender inequality excludes women, causes suffering and holds back development. We hope that the support to the UN system signed today will contribute to unleashing women’s potential, which is vital for economic growth and sustainable development.

Now it’s time to put plans into action. I wish you the best in supporting the government and people of Tanzania to achieve the SDGs.