Youths under the Centre for Youth and Development (CYD) in Mzuzu are on Thursday set to petition President Peter Mutharika to implement the new set of global goals to be adopted later this month.
Between September 25 and 27, United Nations (UN) member States are meeting in New York to adopt the new Sustainable Development Goals to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which are expiring at the end of this year.
Briefing journalists in Mzuzu on Tuesday, CYD executive director James Gondwe observed that Malawi struggled to achieve a number of MDGs launched in 2000.
He said observed that Malawi made progress on some MDGs, including those that targeted reducing maternal and child deaths.
Said Gondwe: “We are calling on government to have a clear implementation plan, developed with the active participation of citizens, especially marginalised groups and local communities, including children and young people.
“As such, we are presenting a petition to the President which will go through the mayor of Mzuzu City.”
He said CYD, a member of the Action 2015, a movement of about 2 000 organisations worldwide calling global leaders to adopt the new goals, has lined up a number of activities to build momentum and pressure towards adoption, commitments and implementation of the goals.
If adopted, these goals could lead to the eradication of extreme poverty, inequality and protection from climate change.
