I am proud to see you,
Mr. President, a distinguished son of Africa, presiding
over the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session,
and I congratulate you warmly on your election. I would
also like to pay tribute to the President of the Assembly
at its previous session for his sterling leadership.
This meeting is taking place at a challenging time
on the global stage. Several African countries have
been dealing with an unprecedented outbreak of deadly
Ebola disease; the 200 girls abducted in Nigeria by
Boko Haram are yet to be found or rescued; and the
indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza ended only a few
weeks ago. At the same time, terrorist groups continue
to disrupt peace and stability in various parts of the
world.
Those challenges are not insurmountable, but
overcoming them requires steadfastness and unity. We
should therefore resolutely reaffirm our faith and move
forward, guided by the enduring values and principles
of the Charter of the United Nations and all that it stands
for. Those values should guide our discussions during
this session, including on our theme “Delivering on and
implementing a transformative post-2015 development
agenda”. That theme presents an opportunity for us to
pause and reflect on the successes we have achieved and
the challenges we have encountered in implementing the
ambitious targets set by the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). The creation of a better world through
inclusive development, improved freedom from want,
and greater security and prosperity, especially in
developing countries, are some of the priorities we
agreed on 14 years ago.
In Namibia, the implementation of the MDGs
has had many positive results. We have reduced the
percentage of our people living in extreme poverty
by more than half. Primary school enrolment has
reached 100 per cent. Health care is now delivered to
many communities where once there was none. The
rates of new cases of HIV infection have stabilized.
Our coverage of antiretroviral treatment has reached
85 per cent, while the rate of prevention of mother-to-
child transmission now stands at 90 per cent. We are
moving closer to eliminating malaria as a public health
threat, and our provision of clean drinking water and
sanitation has also expanded.
Notable successes have been achieved at the global
level, too. The living conditions of millions of people
have improved, especially in developing countries. We
therefore have a strong foundation on which to realize the
sustainable development goals that are part of the post-
2015 development agenda. In that context, urgent action
should be taken to meet the basic needs of all human
beings and the protection of the natural environment,
on which we all depend for our livelihoods. I believe
no effort or resource should be spared in addressing
holistically the root causes of social strife, poverty and
political conflict in our societies.
Developing countries, particularly African and
island States, continue to bear the brunt of the adverse
effects of climate change. Floods, droughts and soil
erosion have become more severe, prolonged and
frequent. Namibia therefore calls for implementation
of the action programme and the dynamic Windhoek
Declaration adopted in 2013 in Namibia at the eleventh
session of the Conference of the Parties to the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
We applaud the Secretary-General for hosting the
Climate Summit during this session of the General
Assembly. Its outcome should complement the
negotiations within the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change towards a meaningful
and coordinated global agreement in 2015.
Going forward, our discussions and interactions
should be guided by the principles articulated in the
Millennium Declaration; the outcome document
of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development, entitled “The future we want”; and the
outcomes of the major United Nations conferences
and summits on economic, social and environmental
matters. It is vital to ensure that the concerns articulated
in the African Common Position be fully integrated
into the post-2015 development agenda.
As we prepare for the implementation of the
post-2015 development agenda, we must demonstrate
the necessary political will and create strong global
partnerships to realize our shared goals. Furthermore,
we should join hands to ensure effective mobilization
and the efficient utilization of public- and private-sector
resources at both the domestic and international levels.
The ongoing efforts to reform the United Nations
system, particularly the Security Council, must be
concluded without further delay in order to reflect the
contemporary geopolitical realities.
We remain concerned about the political instability
and armed conflicts in South Sudan, Somalia, Mali
and the Central African Republic. However, the
success achieved by the Government of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Organization
Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo and the Southern African Development
Community, along with the Intervention Brigade, in
neutralizing the negative forces in the eastern part of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo is encouraging.
In order to further consolidate peace, the voluntary
programme for the disarmament, demobilization,
repatriation, resettlement and reintegration of the
negative forces must be implemented fully.
Namibia supports the participation of women in
peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations around the
world. In that context, we call for the full implementation
of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women,
peace and security. Namibia has currently deployed one
of the largest female police contingents to the African
Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur.
Namibia continues to call for the lifting of the
economic embargo against Cuba. The embargo is
contrary to international efforts to reduce poverty and
achieve the MDG targets in States Members of the
United Nations. The listing of Cuba as a State sponsor
of international terrorism is not justifiable and should
not be accepted.
We call for the full implementation of all relevant
United Nations resolutions on Western Sahara and
Palestine. The international community must fulfil its
obligations and assist the people of Western Sahara
and Palestine to realize their inalienable right to self-
determination.
Namibia condemns the abduction of more than
200 girls and other innocent people by Boko Haram
in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We call for their
immediate and unconditional release.
We support international efforts to combat Ebola
disease in the African countries affected. Towards that
end, Namibia has contributed ND$11 million to the
fight against the deadly epidemic.
As prescribed by the Namibian Constitution, I
have the honour to inform the Assembly that my term
of office as President will come to an end early next
year. Therefore, this is the last time that I will address
the General Assembly as President of the Republic
of Namibia. I would like to thank Heads of State
and Government for the excellent cooperation that
they have rendered to me and my country during my
tenure of office. I trust that they will extend the same
cooperation to my successor.
Finally, let us reaffirm our collective political
commitment to accelerating the achievement of the
MDGs as we move towards the implementation of the
post-2015 development agenda.