Handing Over of Electronic Equipment to the Food and Nutrition Coordinating Office (FNCO)

Bo Mme le Bo Ntate, Khotsong.

Please allow me to pay my respects to:

HIS MAJESTY KING LETSIE III

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRIME MINISTER

HONOURABLE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

HIS LORDSHIP PRESIDENT OF THE COURT OF APPEAL

HER LADYSHIPSHIP THE CHIEF JUSTICE

HONOURABLE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

HONOURABLE MINISTERS AND DEPUTY MINISTERS OF HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT

IN PARTICULAR THE MINISTER IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, HON. TEMEKI TS’OLO WHO IS PRESENT HERE TODAY

THEIR LORDSHIPS JUDGES OF THE COURT OF APPEAL AND THE HIGH COURT

HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

HEADS OF UN AGENCIES AND DEAR COLLEAGUES

THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

SENIOR GOVERNMEN OFFICIALS

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

BO MME LE BO NTATE ALL PROTOCOL OBSERVED

On behalf of the United Nations In Lesotho, I am honored and pleased to participate in the handing over of information and technology equipment to the Government of Kingdom of Lesotho. This equipment is offered by the United Nations Network through the Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger and Under Nutrition (REACH). Before proceeding, I would like to say a few words about the United Nations Nutrition Network including REACH initiative in Lesotho. The United Nations Network for Nutrition is an integral part of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN). The UN Network brings together UN agencies at the country, regional and global levels in pursuit of the Agenda 2030 and the global nutrition targets.

REACH is also an integral part of SUN’s UN Network at the country level, helping to promote harmonization and collaboration among UN agencies undertaking nutrition-related activities in-country whilst supporting SUN processes. It is a global partnership committed to meeting the nutrition needs of the world's most vulnerable children and women, through evidence-based analysis and innovative programming that builds government institutional capacity, strengthens policy and planning skills and prioritizes scarce resources. The initiative was established in Lesotho in 2017 and it brings together the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

It is gratifying to note that with the funding from Irish Aid, REACH has been supporting Lesotho to strengthen multi-sectoral nutrition governance. It is through this assistance that REACH has supported Lesotho in strengthening multisectoral coordination for nutrition scale up. Thisinitiative has not only increased  mutual accountability and collective actions from UN participating agencies, it has also provided a platform for promoting proven interventions; including the adaption of effective laws and policies. The rationale behind all these efforts, is none other than to enable the UN and Government of Lesotho to work more effectively to deliver nutrition actions at scale and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), while putting nutrition both as a maker and a marker of development. Recognizing that 12 of the 17 SDGs are closely linked to Nutrition, improved nutrition becomes a development imperative.

Distinguished Guests, Bo Mme le Bo Ntate; Since we are talking about nutrition, allow me to take a quick glance at the current status of nutrition in Lesotho. Lesotho is among the seven countries in the world that have shown progress in improving child nutrition outcomes, as evidenced by a 6-percentage point reduction in stunting since 2004. However, according to the Lesotho Demographic Health Survey of 2014, stunting rates remain unacceptably high at 33.2 % among children under 5, indicating an underlying food and nutrition security challenge. This means that at least one in three children under the age of five years is stunted. This is above the WHO public health threshold of 20 percent for moderate prevalence. Similarly, micronutrient deficiencies among children aged 6 to 59 months particularly iron deficiency (that is anaemia) stands at 51%. In addition, over 27% of girls and women and 14% of boys and men in the 15-49 age range are also anemic. You will all agree with me: the situation calls for urgent national response through concerted and joined efforts. If no meaningful action is taken to 4 address the problem, the country’s development will be seriously undermined.

A malnourished population does not have enough strength to generate meaningful development. It is therefore rewarding to note the remarkable milestones and commitment of the Government in addressing the scourge of malnutrition in all its forms. The initiatives by various nutrition sectoral players are indeed commendable. The purpose of today’s gathering is handing over Information Technology equipment in the form of: 20 laptops, 2 printers and one multi-functional Photocopier to the value of USD 40,000. This is just a small token symbolising the will of UN Network through REACH to capacitate the Food and Nutrition Coordinating Office by strengthening its coordinating role.

This equipment is meant to improve the nutrition surveillance system and reporting mechanisms of the stakeholders, as a nationalrepository for nutrition-related matters. It also intends to build capacity towards the envisaged “Nutrition Information System” in the future. I use this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the Irish Government which has been providing financial support to Lesotho through REACH and indeed this support has borne far-reaching results, in the process of achieving the set national and global nutrition agenda. Distinguished guests, Bo Mme le Bo Ntate, On behalf of UN Network REACH, it is my honour and privilege to officially handover this Information Technology Equipment to the Office of the Prime Minister, Food and Nutrition Coordinating Office.

Kea Leboha. Khotso – Pula – Nala