Investment in education vital for MDGs attainment: UN official

Investment in education is a prerequisite if African nations are to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, a senior United Nations (UN) official said here Wednesday.

"Peace, investment in education as well as human development are vital to drive strong economic development and eventually attainment of the MDGs," Rebecca Grynspan, the UN Under-Secretary General, said at a joint press briefing with Zambia's Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning in Lusaka.

While commending Zambia for its strides towards the attainment of the MDGs, the UN official said many nations were "off-track" and commended Zambia for the efforts made so far.

"Zambia has everything needed to attain the MDGs. The country has peace, investment in education but more need to be done," the official who was on a four-day official visit to the southern African nation added.

According to her, the UN was committed to helping Zambia towards the attainment of the MDGs and commended the government for efforts made towards economic development.

The UN official was expected to take part in an MDG dialogue to discuss how countries such as Zambia, with tremendous potential in agriculture, tourism and mining, could accelerate progress towards the attainment of the MDGs by 2015.

The dialogue was expected to foster a common understanding on where progress has been achieved, and must be sustained, and sharing of international good practice in policies and programs.

Meanwhile, the Zambian government says it had made efforts in ensuring the achievement of the MDGs by mainstreaming the goals in its development frameworks.

Zambia's Deputy Minister of Finance and National Developed David Phiri said during the same occasion that the country was "making positive strides" and indications were that the country was on track to meet the targets on reducing the poverty gap and reducing hunger which was MDG goal number one, attaining universal primary education, reducing child mortality, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases which was MDG goal six.

More effort, he said, was however required to ensure attainment of targets on extreme poverty, maternal health, gender equality and environmental sustainability by 2015.

"It is well documented that development impact is realized overtime and as a country we are committed to maintaining the momentum and not allow regression on the progress achieved so far, " he said.

Source: Xinhua

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