Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia Hon Nelly Mutti, SC, MP, FAPRA has urged fellow Parliamentarians to lead the way to ensure that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are realised before the deadline of 2030.
She noted that, progress towards the realisation of the SDGs remains uneven and many goals are still off track globally. She attributed the gloomy global picture to the challenges at national levels and called on countries to endeavour to implement the SDGs.

Speaker Mutti said that, there was need for parliaments to be better equipped politically to move the agenda and ensure that the SDGs are truly owned by the people.

She was speaking as a panellist at the opening session of the 2025 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations in New York which was been held under the theme “Scaling up action for the SDGs: finance institutions and politics”.

Speaker Mutti however informed the gathering that Zambia remains on track to achieve SDG 12 on “Responsible consumption and production and SDG 13 on “Climate Action” and has also made some noticeable progress on a number f the SDGs She also noted that the Zambian Parliament has exhibited some political will in the implementation of some of the SDGs such as the establishment of the Constituency Offices and Introduction of the Sector Budget amongst them.

Meanwhile, in fort to continue the promotion of Parliamentary democracy, Hon Mutti held bilateral meetings with other Parliamentary Delegations on the sidelines of the of the Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations.
During the bilateral meeting with the Delegation of Qatar, Speaker Mutti called for strengthened Parliamentary relations between the Parliaments of Qatar and Zambia.  She noted that, in the past, there had been minimal interactions between the two Parliaments and therefore hoped that the two Parliaments could consider areas of mutual understanding in which they could collaborate. Speaker Mutti backed the formation of a friendship group to enhance relations between the two Parliaments.

In response Her Excellency Dr Hamda Hassan Al - Sulati, Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council of the state of Qatar acknowledged that friendship groups have the potential to bring Parliaments together irrespective of their regions.

Madam Speaker also had bilateral talks with Vice Chairman of the National People’ s Congress of China Vice Chairman- Education, Science, Culture and Public Health, Mr Tian Xuenjun.  She praised China for the all-weather friendship which has since been elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership offering new avenues. She noted that the long-standing relations between the two countries as demonstrated by the recent visit to China by the Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema. In responding to Speaker Mutti’ s remarks, Mr Xuenjun s acknowledged the good relations between the two countries. He mentioned that his country firmly believed in the SDGS and expressed his country’ s desire to work together with Zambi in many areas of the SDGs.

Speaker Mutti was attending the Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations in New York as an Executive Committee Member of the IPU. She is accompanied by Mr Oliver Amutike, Vice President of the IPU Zambia National Group. Also in the Delegation is Mrs Loveness Mayaka, Deputy Clerk (Administration) and some Officers from the Office of the Clerk.