NEW YORK, United States | President Duma Boko has called for closer cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), while seeking greater international support for Botswana’s response to climate change and its plans to transform and diversify the economy.
Boko made the call during a courtesy meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres in New York on Monday, where the Botswana president also paid tribute to Guterres for his decade of service at the helm of the United Nations.
“Botswana regards you as a steadfast champion of multilateralism,” Boko told Guterres, citing the UN chief’s work on climate action, conflict mediation, humanitarian diplomacy, emerging technologies and efforts to reform the global organisation.
The meeting came as Botswana seeks stronger international partnerships to address economic, environmental and development challenges affecting the country and the wider SADC region.
Boko said Botswana remained committed to development, peace and security, as well as the promotion and protection of human rights.
He also expressed support for reforms to the UN Security Council and the international financial system, arguing that changes were needed to ensure developing countries have greater access to institutions and mechanisms that serve their development interests.
The Botswana president proposed that the UN Resident Coordinator be given dual accreditation to SADC.
According to Boko, such an arrangement could improve coordination between the United Nations and the regional bloc and strengthen cooperation on development and other shared priorities across Southern Africa.
Botswana also renewed its offer to host UN offices at Orapa House, providing a potential base for expanding the organisation’s presence in the country.
Climate change was another major issue raised during the meeting, with Boko pointing to the increasingly severe and recurring droughts affecting Botswana.
He described the droughts as an “existential threat” to the country’s livestock and agricultural sectors and called for increased international financial and technical assistance to help Botswana respond to the effects of climate change.
Agriculture and livestock remain important to livelihoods in Botswana, making prolonged drought conditions a major concern for rural communities and the country’s broader economic resilience.
Boko also called for international partnerships to support Botswana’s efforts to reduce its dependence on raw mineral exports.
He said the country needed greater investment in education and digital innovation while developing industries capable of processing resources locally and creating additional economic value.
The president further called for stronger global governance of artificial intelligence as the technology continues to reshape economies and societies.
He said efforts were needed to close the digital divide and ensure that developing countries are able to participate in and benefit from advances in artificial intelligence.
Boko thanked Guterres for his service to the United Nations and wished him well as he approaches the end of his tenure as Secretary General.
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