Namibia

I wish to congratulate Mr. Deiss on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. We are confident that he will discharge the responsibilities of his high office with wisdom. I assure him of Namibia’s cooperation and support. I would also like to commend his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, for the able manner in which he presided over the sixty-fourth session. The Secretary-General of the Organization, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and his staff have done a commendable job in overseeing the ongoing efforts to improve the working methods of the Organization and for better interaction with Member States. We commend them for their dedication and hard work. The theme for this year’s session, “Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance”, is both timely and appropriate. In that spirit, Member States should reaffirm the central role of the United Nations in global governance. Namibia shares the views expressed in the outcome document of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development (resolution 63/303, annex). We believe that because of its universal membership and legitimacy, the United Nations is well positioned to participate in the reform processes to improve and strengthen the effective functioning of the international financial system. In that regard, we must reaffirm our commitment to a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system and also work together for a speedy and equitable conclusion to the Doha Round. Although Namibia is currently classified as a high middle-income country, it still bears the scars of social and economic inequalities inherited from its colonial past. As a result, we carry the unenviable distinction as the country with the most unequal distribution of income and economic resources in the world. Ironically, our country also faces declining international development assistance due to that very classification, which has negatively impacted our ability to mobilize resources for national development efforts. In that light, I appeal to the international financial institutions to create special mechanisms to enable middle-income countries to access financial resources for development on concessional terms, as called for by the 2008 Windhoek Declaration on Development Cooperation with Middle-Income Countries. Our recently concluded High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) gave world leaders and other stakeholders a unique opportunity to review progress made towards 10-54965 14 the achievement of the MDGs and to share valuable experiences. It is also evident that more work remains to be done. The challenges encountered should encourage us, and the successes recorded should inspire us all to work relentlessly for the noble and common objectives of achieving all of the MDGs. At the global level, climate change is one of the major challenges facing humanity today. The devastating impact of natural disasters around the world has affected most of our countries. Although Namibia does not significantly contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases, it is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In recent years, we have experienced increasingly severe floods and droughts that have destroyed crops, livestock and wild animals. We thus call upon industrialized countries to take practical steps and demonstrate greater political will to bring about drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. We also urge them to give meaningful support to the efforts of developing countries to mitigate and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. It is our hope that the industrialized countries will meet their commitments to provide adequate resources, in line with the undertakings made at Copenhagen in 2009. Namibia looks forward to a successful outcome of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Mexico later this year. In 2000, while serving as a member of the Security Council, Namibia initiated and introduced a theme on women, peace and security, which resulted in the adoption of the resolution 1325 (2000). Our objective was to highlight the plight of women in conflict situations and to recognize the vital role that they can play in peacemaking efforts for the effective resolution of conflicts. As we commemorate the first decade of that resolution, let us recommit ourselves to the protection of women and girls in conflict situations in all parts of the world. We welcome the Assembly resolution on system- wide coherence and the establishment of UN Women as an entity dedicated to dealing with gender-related issues (resolution 64/289). We hope that that new entity will strengthen the institutional capacity of the United Nations for the support of gender equality and the empowerment of women. My delegation wishes to congratulate Ms. Michelle Bachelet on her appointment as UN Women’s first head. In August, Namibia assumed the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In that capacity, we will work to promote cooperation with other regional economic communities in Africa, as the building blocks for intracontinental integration. SADC strives for political stability in the region as a prerequisite for sustainable development. In that connection, we have taken proactive steps to resolve the political crisis in Madagascar, through the facilitation efforts of former President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique. The recent African Union (AU) summit, held in Kampala in July, focused on maternal, infant and child health and development in Africa. African leaders reaffirmed their commitment to mobilize and direct resources to check the deaths of women and children from preventable diseases. Namibia has consistently urged the international community to fulfil its obligation to help the people of Western Sahara in their quest for self-determination. We therefore call for immediate and unconditional implementation of the United Nations Settlement Plan for Western Sahara and for the holding of a free and fair referendum, based on the terms of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly. Namibia is deeply concerned about the ongoing suffering and humiliation of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation and the denial of their fundamental right to self-determination. It is encouraging, however, that direct negotiations have been resumed between the parties. We hope that a durable solution will be found without further delay and on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions. Namibia is also concerned about the prolonged and extraterritorial economic embargo imposed on the people of Cuba. We fully support the decision of the AU summit in Kampala calling for the embargo’s removal. We believe that the economic blockade is unjustifiable and unfair and should therefore be lifted. Similarly, Namibia calls for lifting the economic sanctions imposed, directly or indirectly, on the Republic of Zimbabwe by some Western countries. Those sanctions have caused enormous suffering, not 15 10-54965 only to the people of Zimbabwe, but also to other countries in the SADC region. For many years now, we have been calling for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system, particularly the Security Council. The process must be finalized to render the Council more representative, democratic and accountable. It is unjust that Africa remains the only region of the world without permanent representation on the Security Council. In that connection, we reiterate our support for the African common position on Security Council reform, as articulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. The maintenance of international peace and security is our collective responsibility. Namibia believes that peace, security and stability are the cornerstones of sustainable development, and thus we will continue to participate in United Nations and AU peacekeeping missions. We urge the international community to support conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts around the world. Recently, States parties to the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty reaffirmed their commitment to nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. We welcome that positive step, in the belief that multilateralism is the most viable option for achieving a world free from the danger of nuclear weapons. Namibia believes in the effectiveness of collective action under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve conflicts by peaceful means and to address the challenges facing the world. My delegation is optimistic that together we can successfully work for the common good of all humanity. Let us join hands to achieve our common objective of building a better world for present and future generations.