The Lesotho Council of Non-Governmental Organizations delegation left the
country on Thursday ,22 August to participate at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (WSSD) to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from
Friday August 23 to Wednesday September 04, 2002.
The delegation will present a position paper with an overview of various issues
in Lesotho from the perspective of civil society and its formations. Speaking
during a press briefing held at the Cooperatives college on Wednesday, one
of the delegates Mr. Ben Van Tonder said among issues to be addressed at the
summit include enhancing of trade especially in the rural areas where people
live without critical social services and goods.
Mr. Van Tonder said that civil society believe that population
management can also be effective as an instrument of sustainable development
if there could be change of approach, adding that the new approach should
aim at empowering women to make independent decisions about their sexuality
and fertility. He said they further belief that the success of poverty reduction strategies
lies in developing a strategy that can whip at poverty at all sides, adding
that the strategy needs to attack among others, unemployment, promote
sustainable accommodation for people and develop financial support mechanisms
for establishment of social services and consumer goods to rural populations.
In the meantime, farmers will also present their paper at the summit. Speaking
on their behalf, Mr. Makhema Mats'aba from the Rural Self-Help Development
Association said complexities as well as success of farmers in Lesotho since
the last Summit will be conversed at the summit. He mentioned that among
others, lack of coordination amongst farmers in Lesotho hinders small
farmers success for there is no sharing of knowledge and experiences.
Mr. Mats'aba said the impact of HIV/AIDS on farming in Lesotho will be highlighted, adding
that eligible farmers die as the result of the diseases thereby leaving
farming in the hands of the incapable. He concluded saying that apart from
the difficulties experienced by farmers in the country, they will strive to
show off their little success by displaying some of the products produced by
Lesotho farmers.
The delegation has a wide spectrum of representatives from youth
federations, women, gender, environment and farmers. The conference follows
the one which was held by 178 governments at the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
23 August, 2002
|