Regional United Nations Development Group Mission to Lesotho

The purpose of the mission was to gain a first-hand understanding of the situation in Lesotho and to engage the government and other stakeholders regarding how the UN can best support the government and people of Lesotho with respect to current development challenges and opportunities. The R-UNDG Mission was led by Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director, Regional Bureau for Africa, Chair of UNDG Africa and included the Regional Directors and representatives of UNDP, UNFPA, UNESCO, UNWOMEN, FAO, IOM, WHO, UNDPA, OCHA.

Under the theme, “Transformation and Reform: The Path to Lesotho’s Sustainable Development”, a High-level Roundtable (HRT) with the Government and other stakeholders took place. The three thematic areas of the HRT were:

a)      Strengthening Health Systems to Deliver on the SDGs

b)      Environment and Climate Change

c)      Socio-Economic Outlook

d)      Governance Reforms.

The HRT was co-organized by the Government of Lesotho and the United Nations. It provided a platform for various stakeholders and policymakers to discuss the complex challenges confronting the country and to identify the underlying contributory factors. Participants discussed alternative proposals for immediate steps and long-term solutions to meet the challenges for ensuring inclusive and sustainable development. The HRT took place in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) localization and the upcoming reviews, respectively, of the National Development Assistance Plan and the Lesotho United Nations Development Assistance Plan.

The HRT noted the tremendous progress made by Lesotho and reviewed the mutually reinforcing challenges around the four thematic areas and emphasized that current vulnerabilities need to be addressed in a concerted manner in order to avoid any deterioration or reversal of the development gains made through years. The complex reality facing the country also suggests the need to take stock and rethink strategies employed so far. The current roll-out of the SDGs, the humanitarian response to the effects of the drought, and the commitment to reforms offer a critical moment and an opportunity for a coordinated effort to address the current vulnerabilities. The HRT was a timely opportunity for a candid and constructive dialogue among stakeholders. This dialogue, no doubt, could not be exhaustive in such a short time and would need to be continued.  

All engagements including during courtesy meetings with the Right Honourable Dr. Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili, Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations Acting Hon. Khotso Letsatsi, were aimed at finding the best way the UN system can support the country’s efforts toward sustainable development and to meliorate the current development challenges.