Thursday, October 18, 2012

Tanzania to revive talks with Malawi

Alberic Kacou
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has unveiled plans to utilise the celebrations of UN’s 67th anniversary to invite the Malawian government to resume talks on the ongoing boarder dispute.
The plans were revealed yesterday in Dar es Salaam by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, John Haule at the opening session of the UN anniversary week themed ‘Changing Peoples’ Lives, Greening the Environment for Sustainable Livelihoods’.
Without giving details, Haule said the government plans to invite Malawi back to the negotiating table so as to once and for all resolve the matter that threatens the fragile peace in the region.
Highlighting the importance of partnership and emphasising the need to maintain a peaceful enabling environment for development activities, the PS acknowledged that environmental degradation is linked to peace, security and stability which is evident today from the growing pressure for arable fertile land, green pastures and water sources.
“It is in our collective interest therefore to address the challenges of environmental degradation to ensure future sustainable peace, development and prosperity…” the PS emphasized.
Haule went on to convey his belief that the UN week will rejuvenate long standing collaboration between the government of Tanzania and the UN to reinforce the roles and responsibilities of joint partnership and strengthen commitment for successful implementation of the United Nations Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP 2011-2015) aligned with the government’s development priorities for the country.
For his part, UN Resident Coordinator for Tanzania, Alberic Kacou said that the Global Climate Change increasingly evident in the form of floods, droughts, environmental degradation are posing challenges for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
UN has continuously stressed on environmental conservation because it recognizes that sustainable and environmentally sound development play a key role in reinforcing and broadening the impact of economic growth.
“For too long we have tried to consume our way to prosperity. Look at the cost, polluted land and oceans, climate change, growing scarcity of resources from food to land to fresh water, rampant inequality. We need to invent a new model, a model that offers growth …that is more respectful of the planet’s finite resources. Nature has been kind to human beings, but we have not been kind to nature…” Kacou quoted the UN Secretary General Ban-ki-moon.
Coordinator Kacou also added that UN has been and will continue to assist Tanzania in adopting to the Global Climate Change but conceded that more effort must be employed in a sustainable way that will conserve the environment, combat deforestation and increase agricultural prosperity in the country.

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