Namibia

Namibia congratulates Mr. Csaba Korosi on his election as President of the Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. He can be assured of Namibia’s full support as he provides leadership during his tenure. I would also like to express our appreciation to his predecessor Mr. Abdulla Shahid for his sterling stewardship as President of the Assembly at its seventy- sixth session. Since attaining our political independence 32 years ago, we are proud of the work we have undertaken towards the second phase of our struggle for economic independence. During this period we have built a strong foundation for our governance architecture with an emphasis on strengthening processes, systems and institutions. Given those advances in effective governance, we are optimistic in our quest to deal with the triple challenges of inequality, unemployment and poverty. Our impact plan, the Harambee Prosperity Plan II, which is accelerating the implementation of our national development plans, is fast-tracking our efforts towards our Vision 2030. Since my term of office will end on 20 March 2025 and we are a nation with a Constitution that limits the Head of State to two terms, we have set in motion the process for an orderly succession to continue with our peaceful development. The ruling party, the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), which I lead, is currently conducting primaries. There is a real possibility that the next candidate of the SWAPO party for the national presidential elections will be a woman or a young man from the generation that was never in exile. The presence of women in the line of succession is a demonstration of the strides we have made in gender equality, with women’s representation at 40 per cent in the National Assembly. Moreover, 90 per cent of our banks are headed by women. Namibia is a child of international solidarity, midwifed by the United Nations. We therefore believe firmly in solidarity and partnership as critical enablers of our development aspirations. At this juncture I would like to thank the Secretary- General for his comprehensive report on Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), which makes clear recommendations for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and all existing global agreements through multilateralism, with the United Nations at the centre of our efforts. I commend the Secretary-General for his visionary leadership in proposing that we should meet in a summit of the future to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that await current and future generations. Namibia supports the convening of that important summit at the earliest opportunity. Over the past few months, it has been encouraging to see concerted efforts to train a spotlight on transforming education and advancing SDG 4. Education is a sector that Namibia has consistently prioritized through its allocation of resources, both human and financial, and its consistent prioritization of policy development. In the context of the recently concluded Transformation of Education Summit, Namibia commits to transformative leadership, ensuring access to inclusive digital technologies and developing a strategy for innovative financing and resource mobilization. In Namibia, the education sector receives the largest share of budgetary support, equivalent to 8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and almost a quarter of the total national budget. The Namibian Government offers free primary and secondary education, which demonstrates its commitment to prioritizing and expanding access to education for all. Furthermore, we are proud of the recent landing of the Google Equiano sub-sea cable, which will figure largely in changing Namibia’s digital transformation landscape and narrowing its digital divide, in line with our commitment to leveraging the fourth industrial revolution. In Namibia, we have set up a fourth industrial revolution task force, which recently made recommendations on how Namibia can strengthen domestic capabilities to derive optimal gains from the fourth industrial revolution. In line with the recommendations of the task force, the Government is currently developing a consolidated national fourth industrial revolution strategy to provide overarching direction and multisectoral planning. The strategy will prioritize education reform to close the fourth industrial revolution skills gap, as well as cybersecurity and the expansion of the information and communications technology infrastructure and services. Global debt is at an unprecedented level and interest rates are rising. That reality limits our fiscal space. As we talk about our collective aspirations, we should remain acutely aware of the vulnerabilities facing developing countries. Namibia’s classification as an upper-middle-income country presents challenges with regard to mobilizing resources to finance our development goals. As I said, taking our GDP and dividing it by our small population, thereby deriving a high per capita income, is without doubt a flawed formula that requires urgent consideration. The formula does not take into account the vast income disparities between the wealthy whites and the poor blacks, which is a consequence of 100 years of colonialism and apartheid occupation. However, I am pleased to hear that a number of developing and developed countries are in agreement on the unfairness of that classification, which denies countries such as Namibia access to soft loans and grants, which are necessary to fight inequality and lift many out of poverty. The motto for the seventy-seventh session, “Solutions through solidarity, sustainability and science”, calls on us to deal with the issues that affect us all. Therefore, I am confident that the unfair classification of countries such as Namibia as upper- middle-income countries will enjoy priority attention. Over the past few months, we have witnessed stark geopolitical tensions, a reminder of the fragility of our world order. Threats to peace and security come at great cost to the men, women and children trapped in such situations. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is now in its seventh month, with serious consequences for food and energy supply chains. Namibia believes that dialogue is the condition sine qua non for the peaceful resolution of any conflict. The United Nations was created for the maintenance of peace and security and should lead a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Namibia, as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council and Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, continues to demonstrate its commitment to regional and continental stability by advocating the advancement of infrastructure for peace, democracy and the protection of human rights. In that regard, as the new Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, I call for the holding of peaceful general elections in the Kingdom of Lesotho on 7 October. SADC is also seized with developments in the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Republic of Mozambique. In that vein, I have commenced a process of dialogue with the leaders of Eswatini, Lesotho and Mozambique in order to ensure the successful implementation of SADC decisions so that peace and stability may prevail in our region. I always say that inclusivity spells harmony and exclusivity spells conflict. Africa is a continent of 1.2 billion citizens, and the exclusion of Africa from the Security Council is an injustice. As long as the Council fails to reflect current global realities in its stature and composition, it will not be able to adequately address global concerns. We therefore reiterate our call for the reform of the Security Council, in line with the Common African Position. Self-determination is a human right. The continued injustices meted out against the people of Palestine are a reminder of the urgent need to start implementing the two-State solution as the only viable alternative that can end inequality and bring peace to the peoples of both Palestine and Israel and indeed the region as a whole. In the same vein, the lack of progress in implementing United Nations resolutions to resolve the question of Western Sahara should be something for which we all feel collectively ashamed. Namibia pledges unwavering solidarity for nations that continue to bear the heavy burden of sanctions. Namibia reiterates its long-standing call for the lifting of the unjust embargo against Cuba. I met a 50-year-old Cuban man who has not known anything but sanctions. Since he was born, sanctions were in place. How long will that be continued? If we are talking about building peace in the world, how can a country be sanctioned for such a long time? Children who are born there do not know any other reality except one in which sanctions are imposed. Please, it is time that the sons and daughters of Cuba be given their right to a decent life, free from an embargo that denies them their right to develop their own country. The sanctions should be ended now. We also call for the lifting of sanctions against the Republic of Zimbabwe. Why are sanctions in place against a country that is making progress at all levels? President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and the people of Zimbabwe have made laudable progress and reforms, which should be given a chance to succeed without the weight of sanctions. The health of our planet is in serious jeopardy. Our home is on fire. We are experiencing unprecedented impacts of climate change, including severe droughts and ravaging field fires. Time is a luxury we do not have. We have to act decisively to reduce carbon emissions as our contribution to the preservation of our planet and people. Namibia, like many developing countries, remains vulnerable to the asymmetrical impacts of climate change. Therefore, at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Namibia plans to announce major developments in its ambitions to decarbonize global hard-to-abate sectors through the production of green hydrogen. Furthermore, the first hydrogen-to-power project in Africa is expected to be operational by 2024 in the town of Swakopmund, Namibia. That is an example of what is possible when we pull together in the same direction. Our ambitions are necessary not only to mitigate the ravaging impacts of climate change but also as a critical component of our post-pandemic economic recovery. Therefore, Namibia remains ready to work with the international community to ensure the most optimal utilization of its natural resources to combat climate change. A just energy transition is about providing fair opportunities for developing nations to sustainably access the natural endowments at their disposal. Namibia recently discovered promising deposits of hydrocarbons and is exploring significant deposits of rare Earth metals. As part of our goal to ensure the sustainable utilization of our natural resources, I recently launched the Welwitschia Fund, our nation’s sovereign wealth fund. The fund is a demonstration of our commitment to fiscal prudence and sustainable resource management for current and future generations. In conclusion, today, on 21 September, we are convened in this Hall on the International Day of Peace to discuss the theme “End racism. Build peace”. Peace is a wonderful gift, but it is a fragile one if it is not handled properly. Peace is more than the absence of war; it is about inclusivity and the development of all nations. Our United Nations, as the premier guarantor of multilateralism, is our best bet for ensuring a peaceful and prosperous humankind. Namibia will continue to place a high premium on the noble aspirations of the United Nations as a beacon of hope and equality for all nations. As a beneficiary of successful multilateral efforts, we hold in high regard the convening power of the General Assembly and recommit to working with fellow Member States to change the world for the better.