Gaborone, Botswana — The Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Dithapelo L. Keorapetse, recently hosted the Head of Office for UNFPA Botswana, Ms. Tlangelani Shilubane-Pietersen, during a courtesy call aimed at fostering collaboration between Parliament and the UN agency.

In his welcoming remarks, Honourable Keorapetse expressed his commitment to a transformative agenda under the new Parliament leadership. He noted that the 13th Parliament, the first since last year’s shift in power, is composed largely of new members and is pursuing a vision to become a high-performing institution — defined by independence, adequate resourcing, and capacity to deliver on its constitutional mandate of legislation and oversight.

“Our goal is to establish an enabling parliamentary ecosystem,” said the Speaker, “guided by a robust change management plan and communication strategy. This includes capacitating Members of Parliament, strengthening our Research Unit, and empowering staff to provide the support MPs need to effectively serve the people.”

Touching on key development issues, Hon. Keorapetse emphasized the importance of equipping Parliamentarians to tackle sensitive but pressing matters such as sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), access to PrEP and PEP, contraception availability, child marriage, and maternity leave. He expressed a strong interest in exploring collaboration with UNFPA Botswana to enhance MPs' understanding and engagement on these issues affecting communities across the country.

In response, Ms. Shilubane-Pietersen congratulated the Speaker on his new role and commended the Botswana government for its continued dedication to human rights. She reiterated UNFPA’s commitment to supporting Botswana in achieving universal access to SRHR, noting the agency's four key transformational goals: ending preventable maternal deaths, ending the unmet need for family planning, ending gender-based violence, and ending new HIV infections.

“We are ready to work closely with Parliament in areas aligned with our mandate,” said Ms. Shilubane-Pietersen. “We look forward to engaging further on how best to support this important institution in driving change.”

The courtesy visit marks the beginning of what both parties anticipate will be a meaningful partnership to advance health, rights, and dignity for all Batswana.