The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Sierra Leone, Frederick Hans Ampiah has presented his letter of Credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy M. Kabba at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministerial conference room, Tower Hill Freetown.

The UNDP Resident Representative congratulated Minister Kabba on his appointment and also congratulated the government of Sierra Leone on the country’s election to the United Nations Security Council non-permanent seat category which he said comes with more work and commitment.

While he looked forward to working closely with the government, he said that the UNDP is committed to deepening development partnerships aiming to address youth unemployment, supporting the Rule of Law, and access to justice, and promoting the interest of the people of Sierra Leone.

The Minister on behalf of His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, welcomed the UNDP Resident Representative and thanked the UNDP for working closely with various ministries and the government as a whole in providing essential services over the years.

The Minister said that President Bio’s government in his first term embarked on a sound human capital development by allocating 22% of the country’s budget to educate the next generation of leaders.

“Women’s issues are the nerve center of societal development. We have a whole ministry that was established by His Excellency to address women’s and girl’s issues. This has led to the establishment of the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Act. We have 30.4 % of women in Parliament contrary to 14% in the past. Our infant mortality rate has drastically reduced and an improvement in the governance space by repealing the Criminal Libel Law,” the Minister said.

He highlighted the need for development partners to support the Five Big Game Changers of the government as they resonate with programs under the UNDP such as youth empowerment schemes, technology and innovation, and skills development.

On the issue of drug proliferation in the country, the Minister called on development partners including UNDP to work with the government to address the challenge to have a healthy youthful population.

The minister assured the UNDP Resident Representative and his team that the government remains committed to working with development partners to deliver on the big five game changers