Parly’s legislative agenda impresses UN diplomat 

Source: Parly’s legislative agenda impresses UN diplomat | The Herald

Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda (right) welcomes United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon during a courtesy call in Harare yesterday. – Picture: Memory Mangombe.

Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter

THE United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Mr Edward Kallon, has been charmed by Parliament’s legislative role after it passed several laws that include the Marriage Amendment Bill that will decriminalise the wilful transmission of HIV.

This was said by Mr Kallon after he paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr Kallon said he was impressed with milestones achieved by Parliament in its legislative role.

He said he came to meet Adv Mudenda as part of familiarisation efforts since he presented his credentials to President Mnangagwa last month.

“This has been a very constructive discussion with the Honourable Speaker. As most of you are aware, I arrived in the country recently, presented my credentials to His Excellency the President and I am having meetings to have a better appreciation of the work and support that has been provided by the UN to Zimbabwe. Our discussions today acknowledged the long standing co-operation between the UN system and Parliament of Zimbabwe,” said Mr Kallon.

“Of critical importance to Zimbabwe in our discussions were some of the Bills that have been passed by Parliament, like the Marriage law, which we think is a very important Bill. I also want to take this opportunity to encourage Parliament to work on Bills like the Child Justice Bill, that is very critical.”

He expressed hope of deepening collaboration with Parliament of Zimbabwe adding that the UN Mission in Harare had developed a Co-operation Framework that dovetailed with Government’s economic blue print, National Development Strategy 1.

“I look forward to engaging more closely with the work of the UN to support Parliament of Zimbabwe.

“As most of you are aware, the Government of Zimbabwe developed NDS1 and the UN has also developed a Co-operation Framework for the period 2022 to 2025 which is aligned to NDS 1. This actually lays out the areas where we can make a co-operation agreement to support the efforts of the Government in realising their development aspirations,” Mr Kallon said.

In presenting his credentials to President Mnangagwa last month, Mr Kallon said building bridges between Zimbabwe and the international community in the spirit of engagement and re-engagement was at the centre of the UN mission in the country.

He said his team will do everything it can to ensure that the whole world unconditionally embraces Zimbabwe so that the country develops unrestrained.

Mr Kallon said his role was to build bridges between Harare and the international community.

“As I come to Zimbabwe, I see opportunities and also complexities. My job now is to try to build a bridge between Zimbabweans and the international community to re-engage, based on the policies of the President of this country to ensure the dividend of international co-operation is realised. For me that is of utmost importance as I start my job,” he said.