Mbabane – The launched 2026-2030 Country Programme Documents (CPDs) will focus on economic growth that creates jobs, particularly for young people, while protecting the environment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Henrik Franklin said.
Launched at the UN House by the UNDP, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the government, the CPDs will also support micro, small and medium enterprises to access markets, promote innovation and strengthen climate resilience.
Franklin said the renewed development partnership with government is aimed at accelerating inclusive growth and social transformation. He also said the programmes were developed through wide consultations coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, involving government ministries, development partners, civil society, academia, young people and persons with disabilities.
The programmes come at a time when the country continues to face climate related shocks, economic pressures and widening inequalities, challenges that disproportionately affect women, young people and vulnerable communities.
UNFPA Head of Office Margaret Thwala said its eighth country programme will also focus on advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, promoting gender equality and improving population and development outcomes. A key target is to reduce teenage pregnancies by 50 per cent by 2030, with interventions focusing on adolescent girls and young women, particularly in the Hhohho and Lubombo regions.
More efforts will also be directed at ending preventable maternal deaths, addressing gender based violence and harmful practices, and expanding access to family planning and HIV prevention services.
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