speech by the resident coordinator of the un system in the gamb

More documents

Recommendations

Info

It is my pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to all of you. Let me first of all extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to your Excellency for gracing this occasion despite her busy schedule. Your Excellency, your presence here honours us and it is highly appreciated. As most of you know, this is my first official reception of this kind since I arrived in The Gambia a few months ago as the Resident Coordinator of the UN System in The Gambia and as UNDP Resident Representative. Your Excellency, I am very honoured to have been selected as the Resident Coordinator for the UN system in The Republic of The Gambia and the UNDP Resident Representative. Serving the UN Secretary General and the UNDP Administrator in the Gambia is a special privilege and I am delighted to join many committed individuals and development partners in and outside the UN system who are supporting the government’s vision for a peaceful , stable and democratic society. I would like to acknowledge and register my deep felt appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded me by His Excellency the President and the Government as well as by people of The Gambia in general, my colleagues in the UN system and other development partners. The fact that I have had a smooth takeover from my predecessor, John Kakonge, is not only a demonstration of his excellent stewardship but also of the strong and fruitful collaboration that has been forged over the years with Government and the development community. I am confident that this support and spirit of partnership with the UN system will continue over the coming years. I intend to work hard at ensuring that this spirit of trust and partnership continues to grow. 2
The Gambia, in my view, is a country that has a lot to be proud of. In a world increasingly torn by strife, its peace and stability is a beacon of hope. In a world where many governments ignore the plight of the disadvantage, the government’s commitment to human development and addressing the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable segments of society – a fact which is very much in evidence is exemplary. Clearly the Government ‘s priorities are audible. To name but a few: expanding education opportunities for all especially education for girls; adopting MDGbased planning process and setting clear and specific targets and forging a vision for The Gambia to become a dynamic middle income country by 2015. All of these speak to Government’s commitment to a propoor development agenda. I and the UN team are committed to serve The Gambia and to bring the comparative advantage of the UN system to bear on these needs and priorities of the country to the best of our ability. I am mindful of the fact that my tour of duty coincides with a number of critical initiatives: the UN reform agenda which is rapidly gathering momentum; the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in the Gambia and, last but not least, the AU summit which for the first time is being held in The Gambia. There is no doubt that this is an honour for The Gambia to host the African Union summit and we stand ready to support the initiatives that will come from this important meeting. Your Excellency, please accept my sincere congratulations to The Gambian people for hosting such an important continental meeting and please convey my best wishes 3
Page 1: STATEMENT BY MS. FADZAI GWARADZIMBA
Page 5: the UN ideals will help me to becom

speech by the resident coordinator of the un system in the gamb

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?