I welcome this momentous decision by Member States to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals which will guide development for the next fifteen years, offering a chance to meet the global citizenry's aspirations for a more peaceful and prosperous, and sustainable future.

The Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development, Honourable Patricia Kaliati has hailed a long standing development partnership between the Government of Malawi and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) dating back to 50 years ago. The Minister was speaking at the 50th Anniversary commemoration event held at Mitundu Primary School in Lilongwe under the theme; Consolidating Gains, Shaping the Future.

At the High-Level Event on Entry into Force of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, held on September 21, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon characterized climate change as the “defining issue of our generation”. It is clear that the international community shares his sense of urgency. Earlier this week, sixty countries formally joined the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, passing one of the two thresholds for the climate deal’s entry into force. These countries represent 48% of global greenhouse gas emissions, falling just short of the second threshold of 55%. With this hurdle surmounted, the UN is ever more confident that the Paris Agreement will enter into force this year, making what once seemed impossible now inevitable.

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Honourable Atupele Muluzi has called for collective effort to manage urbanization in Malawi which rising faster than the pace of urban services and infrastructure development. The Minister told a cross section of representatives at the Habitat III Urban Breakfast in Lilongwe which was organized by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development with support from UN-Habitat and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Urban Breakfast was held under the theme; Financing Urban Development in the Context of the New Urban Agenda.

Government through the Department of Nutrition in liaison with civil society organisations has developed a framework law, the Food and Nutrition Bill, which seeks to effectively guarantee the right to adequate food and nutrition. The Bill also is also providing for labelling and fortification of food; provision of nutrition in schools; the establishment of the National Nutrition Council and the Food and Nutrition Fund.

The Chief Secretary advised members of the DPC to adhere to the Code of Conduct which they have signed. Among other things, it calls for members to exercise impartiality, professionalism, integrity and independence in order to instill confidence in their community members.

The UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW have joined hands with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the second round of competition of the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund (MICF) for the Manufacturing and Logistics, and the Agribusiness Windows.

The Government of China has partnered with the Government of Malawi and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in supporting disaster risk management programmes through the launch of the Small Grant Scheme to community based organizations in disaster prone areas.

About 600 households from Msundu village in traditional authority Malanda in the northern district of Nkhatabay depend on the land along Katendeza river for farming. It is from this flat land that people from Msundu grow cassava, rice and maize crops for food and commercial purposes.

The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development in collaboration with UNDP have launched the Malawi National Human Development Report (NHDR) with Members of Parliament (MPs). The official launch of the MNHDR whose theme is Inclusive Growth in Malawi took place at Parliament building in Lilongwe, presided over by the Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Hon. Dr. Goodall Gondwe and attended by the Chairpersons of various Parliamentary Committees in the Malawi’s National Assembly.

With financial and technical support from the United Nations Development Programme and the European Union, Malawi has launched the first ever National Quality Strategy (NQS) with a call for an inclusive and immediate implementation of the strategy

Malawi launched the Buy Malawi Strategy (BMS) in a bid to promote locally produced goods and services. UNDP supported the development and launch of the strategy in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the private sector. UNDP Resident Representative in Malawi, Mia Seppo commended the Ministry for its leadership and commitment towards the formulation of the BMS, saying the strategy complements other important ongoing initiatives of the Government of Malawi aimed at advancing the industrialization agenda for Malawi.

On this day we celebrate the power of volunteerism. Volunteering fosters creativity, draws strength from our passions and connects us to those who need us most. Volunteerism is a global phenomenon that transcends boundaries, religions and cultural divides. Volunteers embody the fundamental values of commitment, inclusiveness, civic engagement and a sense of solidarity.

The government is in the process of establishing partnerships with local and regional telecommunication companies so that text messages on weather conditions can be sent to farmers frequently. 280 members of 28 Village Disaster Risk Committees are already receiving the SMS updates and are responsible for disseminating the information to their communities. More community members will be identified to receive these updates, and the circle of people benefitting from the SMS’s will continue to widen.

Case Study: Lilongwe Girls Secondary School Lilongwe, November 2015: UNDP Malawi and UNITAR, as part of the UN: CC Learn initiative, facilitated a Youth Climate Dialogue (YCD). This Dialogue involved students from Lilongwe Girls Secondary School, Malawi and St. Gallen High School in Switzerland, taking part in debates...

Malawi’s first ever Resilience Innovation Lab has successfully secured support from the United Nations Development Programme Africa window of the innovation facility, supported by the Government of Denmark. This exciting new Lab will serve as an incubator of new and innovative ideas in building resilience against economic and environmental shocks in the country

“We want to provide young journalists in developing countries a unique opportunity to contribute to the global debate on climate change in the run-up to COP21, while building their capacity and providing recognition for excellence” noted Neil Buhne, UNDP Geneva Director.

“At Basic Water Needs, we take our social responsibility very seriously and strive to make our whole supply chain sustainable, respecting both human rights and our environmental impact,” stated Jens Groot, the company’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are honoured to join the Business Call to Action and look forward to working with both BCtA and our fellow members to strengthen the impact of our work.”

Lilongwe - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, Ms. Helen Clark today wrapped up her three day mission to Malawi. During her mission, she spoke at the official launch of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report on Thursday after which she proceeded to deliver a lecture on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at Malawi Parliament.

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) sets and implements standards and conducts conformity tests on selected imports and exports, but it has had limited capacity to certify products for international markets. As such, exporters have been incurring extra high costs as well as delays as they seek certification overseas.

Malawi’s launches the country’s first Public Environmental Expenditure Review Malawi’s economy and the livelihoods of a majority of the population are largely dependent on different environment and natural resources (ENR).

I am pleased to participate in this launch of the findings of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment which was carried out in the aftermath of the recent devastating floods here in Malawi. I would like to begin by extending my sincere sympathies to the more than 1.1 million people whose lives, livelihoods, and communities...

On May, 26, the Malawi government through the Ministry of Trade and Industry and UNDP organized a two day training on the Agribusiness Supplier Development Programme (ASDP).

The Malawi agricultural sector is dominated by subsistence farming and rainfed food production systems that are facing increasing challenges from land degradation and declining soil fertility. More than 90% of the people living in rural areas are from resource-poor communities and predominantly engage in subsistence...

Through support from the project, Government has incorporated and mainstreamed SLM principles in three (3) policies namely Water Resources Policy (2013), Fisheries Policy (2013) and Forestry Policies (2013). This has seen the construction of fish ponds in the districts where the project is being implemented.

Chronic poverty, low agricultural productivity, low food intake due to lack of economic opportunities either to produce adequate nutritious food or to exchange labour for income to purchase nutritious food, are some of the critical factors which create a food and nutrition insecure situation in Malawi. Divala...

Potato growing farmers have created their own market in Chandamale village in Neno district. The farmers belong to the first and only cooperative in the area.

UNDP Assistant Secretary General and Director of the UNDP Crisis Response Unit, Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu visited Malawi from March 22 to March 25th, 2015. The purpose of the mission was to appreciate the situation on the ground following the disaster that Malawi experienced.

UNDP supports countries to address the challenges of climate change. As countries transition toward climate-resilient sustainable development, UNDP assists them to prepare for, and build resilience to, the impacts of climate change. Senior government officials, representatives of civil society and academia, the chair...

Residents of Tukombo, a trading centre in Nkhata bay District, were all smiles about the improvements in their lives since the introduction of village savings and loans by the Chifundo-Chapeta Community Based Organization (CBO). The CBO is a beneficiary of the Community Development and Knowledge management for the...