Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, Her Excellency, Diene Keita, has congratulated the Rt. Hon. Ms Nelly BK Mutti on her appointment as the first female Speaker of the National Assembly in the history of Zambia.

Speaking when a UN delegation paid a courtesy call on the Speaker, on Wednesday, 8^th November, 2023 at Parliament Buildings, Ms. Keita, said that her appointment was a significant victory for the women of Zambia and the ongoing global and regional push for gender equality at all levels.

Ms. Keita said that gender equality was a of great importance to the work of the United Nations.

Further Ms. Keita extolled Zambia for the sustaining peace and upholding democratic principles adding that the National Assembly of Zambia must play a pivotal role in the promotion of peace, security, and sustainable development which are central principles of the United Nations.

She further stated that the Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development (AADPD)provides the region(and Zambia ) with specific guidance on population and development, and guidelines for the full implementation of the ICPD beyond 2014 in Africa.

The AADPD’s rich set of commitments and recommendations supports Zambia’s efforts to harness the demographic dividend, advance SRHR, human rights, gender equality and women empowerment, and meet the goals set in Agenda 2063 and the sustainable development goals.  The United Nations remains committed to supporting critical opportunities to catalyse the translation of these global commitments into national development actions.

And speaking earlier as she welcomed the delegation, Speaker of the National Assembly Rt Hon. Ms Nelly BK Mutti said that Zambia and the United Nations systemhave maintained friendly and cordial relations since 1964. This has been demonstrated through frequent high level visits by UN Officials, including the visit by His Excellency Ban Ki Moon, the former United Nations Secretary General in 2012.

The Speaker said that she was informed that part of the objective of the visit by her Excellency Diene Keitato Zambia was to attend the African Union Extra – ordinary Specialised Technical meeting on Health, Population and DrugControl, which will focus on reviewing the ten (10) years of the implementation of the Addis Ababa Declaration of Population and Development (AADPD +10).

The speaker was accompanied by Members of the Parliamentary Caucus on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights  and LifeSkills and Health Education (Parliamentary Caucus on SRHR and LSHE); the Zambia All –Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (ZAPPD) and the Zambia Women Parliamentarians Caucus (ZWPC).