The Council for NGOs in Malawi – CONGOMA and World Vision Malawi launched the Malawian Civil Society Report on the Progress of the Sustainable Development Goals at Mid-point (2023) on Tuesday, 17th October 2023 at Sunbird Lilongwe Hotel.
The Report which was compiled by CONGOMA is a snapshot of a long and multifaceted effort to compile status of implementation as perceived by citizens and various civil society groups. The report fulfils a role CSOs have in ensuring the development landscape in Malawi and responds to the citizen needs while broadening and deepening partnerships in attaining the goals.
The report also presents status of implementation for all the SDGs with examples from the initiatives being undertaken by Government, civil society, development partners and other stakeholders. It emanates from an extensive consultation process among civil society organizations (CSOs) in Malawi and provides valuable insights into the status of each goal. The Methodology used in the report included consultations with the NGOs through Regional Meetings and CONGOMA Annual General Meeting 2023.
Speaking at the launch, the representative of the World Vision International Malawi Country Director, Pennia Mavedzenge, pointed out that the report provides a platform where the citizenry and all stakeholders can get information and feedback from a different sector with different perspective from the government itself.
Mavedzenge also pinpointed that there is need for more efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2023. There is need for collaborated efforts from all concerned stakeholders, including, government, civil society and the citizenry.
The poorest need to be empowered in order for each and every one to be included in the achievement of the SDGs for Malawi, Mavedzenge is quoted as saying.
CONGOMA representative, Mr. Symon Sauzande, expressed worry at the slow pace that Malawi is going in achieving the goals. He emphasized that the SDGs are a commitment that the countries made to their citizenry and so they are supposed to make sure that the SDGs are implemented by 2030. According to the CSOs, the situation on the ground does not collaborate to the report that the government produced as progress in the achievement of the goals.
Empowering the furthest behind will ensure the achievement of the goals by the stated time, 2030. The report has been launched to remind all the stakeholders to increase their efforts in achieving the SDGs.
Contrary to the report that the government produced on the progress of the SDGs, which highlights that Malawi has made significant advancements in several areas of the SDGs, particularly in reducing poverty and enhancing access to education and healthcare, the CSOs are saying there is little or no progress in the implementation of the SDGs. They, therefore recommend that efforts need to be tripled in order to make good and noticeable progress towards achieving the goals.
Corruption, among others was noted to be one of the hindrances to the achievement.