STATEMENT BY ZAMBIA AT THE TWENTY FIFTH- SESSION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF IFAD, ROME, 19-20 FEBRUARY, 2003

THE CHAIRMAN,
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO BE ACCORDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT THIS IMPORTANT ANNUAL INVENT, THE TWENTY FIFTH SESSION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF IFAD. ZAMBIA AS A BENEFICIARY OF IFAD’S SUPPORT JOINS OTHER COUNTRIES IN RECOGENISING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS MEETING AND OUR PARTICIPATION REFLECTS MY COUNTRY’S COMMITMENT TOWARDS IFAD’S WORK AND ASPIRATIONS.

MR CHAIRMAN,

IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THAT IFAD IS WIDELY RECOGNISED AS AN INNOVATIVE INSTITUTION WHICH IS LOOKING AT THE WORLD OF THE POOR AND CONTINUES TO EXCEL IN FULFILLING ITS MANDATE OF HELPING THE POOREST POPULATIONS N RURAL AREAS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES INCLUDING AFRICA.

IN ZAMBIA, THE INCIDENCE OF POVERTY IS CURRENTLY VERY HIGH. OUT OF THE POPULATION OF ABOUT 10.3 MILLION 73% LIVE IN POVERTY. THE LEVEL IS EVEN HIGHER ABOUT( 83%) IN RURAL AREAS WHERE THE PREDOMINANT ACTIVITY IS SMALL SCALE AGRICULTURE.

THE CORE OF IFAD’S STRATEGY IN ZAMBIA HAS BEEN TO ADDRESS ENDEMIC PROBLEMS OF FOOD INSECURITY. ITS SUPPORT HAS BEEN DIRECTED TOWARDS IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY AND STRENGTHENING DELIVERY SERVICES FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESOURCE POOR HOUSEHOLDS AS WELL AS IMPROVING THEIR ACCESS TO MARKETS. AS A RESULT OF THIS KIND OF SUPPORT, THE FOOD SECURITY OF THE VULNERABLE FAMILIES IS IMPROVING AND HAS GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO POVERTY REDUCTION.

MR CHAIRMAN,

I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IFAD AND THE GOVERNMENT OF ZAMBIA WHICH HAS RESULTED IN MEANINGFUL DEVELOPMENT IN AGRICULTURE. THIS HAS ONLY BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE IFAD HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE IN FINANCING PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES THAT HAS SERVED THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ZAMBIAN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF EXPANDING AGRICULTURE’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH.

ZAMBIA IS ALSO GRATEFUL FOR IFADS’DECISION TO PARTICIPATE IN CANCELLING DEBT FOR HIGHLY INDEBTED POOR COUNTRIES FOR WHICH ZAMBIA HAS ALREADY QUALIFIED. THE RESOURCES MADE AVAILABLE FROM THE DEBT INIATIVE WOULD GO ALONG WAY IN SUPPORTING EFFORTS OF POVERTY REDUCTION. IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT IFAD WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN POVERTY REDUCTION INITIATIVES WHICH ZAMBIA IS CURRENTLY PURSUING.

MOREOVER I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UPON IFAD TO BECOME A MORE IMPORTANT PARTNER IN ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS AIMED AT ERADICATING RURAL POVERTY IFAD SHOULD EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF SUPPORTING ZAMBIA’S LONG TERM INITIATIVE TO STRENGTHEN RURAL POOR PEOPLES ACCESS TO RURAL FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS. SUPPORT IS ALSO NEEDED IN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INCLUDING WATER MANAGEMENT AND LIVESTOCK SERVICES PARTICULARLY VETERINARY SERVICES.

I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UPON IFAD TO SUPPORT THIS NOBLE TASK SO AS TO MAKE ZAMBIA POSITIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL OF POVERTY ERADICTION AND HUNGER BY 2015.

MR CHAIRMAN,

THE FUNDS’ PAST INITIATIVE IN ZAMBIA OF SUPPORTING VARIOUS PROGRAMMES DESERVES ALL APPRECIATION AND PRAISE ON OUR PART BECAUSE IT HAS GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION,PROVIDING NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES,IMPROVING THE STANDARD OF LIVING AND INCOME OF FARMERS AND ACHIEVING FOOD SECURITY IN SELECTED AREAS.

THE FUND WITHIN THE FRAME WORK OF ALLEVIATING POVERTY HAS FINANCED AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES IN ZAMBIA WHICH HAS BROUGHT NEW APPROACHES IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, WHICH ARE AIMED AT EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

AS PART OF OUR FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY WE WOULD LIKE TO CONSOLIDATE THE VALUABLE LESSONS AND EXPERIENCES GAINED IN PROGRAMMES FUNDED BY IFAD AND TRANSLATE THEM INTO PROGRAMMES THAT WOULD BENEFIT PARTICIPANTS IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME PARTICULARLY THE RURAL POOR. IT IS OUR CONVICTION THAT UNLESS THE POOR RESOURCE FARMERS PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENANTION, NO MEANINGFUL AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WOULD TAKE PLACE.

ZAMBIA SUPPORTS IFADS’APPROACH OF MAIN STREAMING GENDER IN PROJECT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTION THE INDICATION COMING FROM THE FIELD IN ZAMBIA CLEARLY SHOWS THAT THERE IS STILL A LOT THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN SENSITISING RURAL COMMUNITIES AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTERS ON THE GENDER ROLES.

WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR FIRM SUPPORT AND BACKING OF THE FUND’S EFFORT IN IMPLEMENTING NEW INITIATIVES IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT WHICH INCORPORATES GENDER STRENGHTENING. THIS IS IMPORTANT AS IT WOULD HELP MEN AND WOMEN UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLES AND ACTIVITIES WHICH THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO UNDERTAKE IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND FURTHER REDUCE POVERTY.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MY PROFOUND APPRECIATION TO IFAD FOR THE SUPPORT IT HAS RENDERED TO ENABLE ZAMBIA PARTICIPATE IN THE PILOT PROJECT ON GENDER MAIN STREAMING FOR ALL IFAD FUNDED PROGRAMMERS WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAMME IN ZAMBIA.

IN CONCLUDING MY REMARKS I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE PRESIDENT OF IFAD FOR HIS ABLE LEADERSHIP ,HIS MANAGEMENT TEAM AND STAFF FOR MAKING FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT IN ZAMBIA WHICH HAS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED IFAD’S COMMITMENT TO DEVELOP AGRICULTURE IN ZAMBIA AND OTHER DEVELOPING WORLD, WHICH AS AN ENGINE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO POVERTY REDUCTION. AS A COUNTRY WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW AREAS OF COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAME WORK OF THE NEW PROGRAMME THAT THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT IS IN THE PROCESS OF FINALISING

THANKYOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION