Your Excellency, Philemon Yang, President of the General
Assembly,
Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,
Your Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. Namibia congratulates Your Excellency, on your election as President of the seventy ninth Session of the General Assembly. I also extend my appreciation to your predecessor, H.E. Dennis Francis, for successfully steering the Assembly through trying times. It was during the 78th Session where the relevance of the Assembly’s work repeatedly came to the fore through reaffirmations.
Mr. President,
2. The theme for this General Debate—"Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations” — aligns perfectly with our shared aspirations for effective
international cooperation. In this regard, the adoption of the “Pact for the Future” and its annexes on the 23rd of September 2024, is encouraging. Namibia is proud to have served alongside Germany as co-facilitator of the Summit of the Future. I congratulate delegates for their commitment that brought the Pact to fruition.
3. Namibia’s interest in the Pact for the Future is grounded in the understanding that multilateral institutions, including the Security Council do not represent African needs and aspirations. The institutions created in 1945 must better respond to today’s challenges.
4. At the core of the Pact is this recognition and the urgency for profound global transformation. At the heart of our quest to rebuild trust in multilateralism is a legitimate demand to be recognized as equal partners. Partners who can be trusted. Partners in the fight against war, poverty, global injustice and inequality.
Mr. President,
5. Namibia is particularly concerned about the impact of climate change. Changes in ocean temperatures have affected our fish stocks with potential longterm consequences for our livelihoods, ecosystems, and tourism. Namibia and the rest of the SADC region are going through the El Niño phenomenon which has adversely impacted food security. In this regard, Namibia had to declare a State of Emergency to address the severe effects of drought.
Mr. President,
6. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, we are presented with a renewed opportunity to strengthen gender equality. Namibia remains among the top nine countries globally that have closed at least 80% of the gender gap. In the past 12 months, we have achieved perfect parity in
the National Assembly, where 50% of representatives are women.
7. Namibia is preparing for the 8th Presidential and National Assembly Elections on 27 November 2024. Political parties, including the ruling party have nominated female candidates. We hope that the United Nations will have a female Secretary-General in the near future.
Mr. President,
8. Namibia is working to develop a sustainable energy mix to support its ambitious industrialization agenda and to contribute to the world’s efforts to combat climate change. We are establishing green industrialization ecosystems, for decarbonizing industries that find it difficult to lower their greenhouse emissions.
9. Investment in these key sectors is critical and Namibia is urging developed nations to scale up support for developing countries to facilitate gradual energy transitions.
Mr. President,
10. Turning to international peace and security, there is an urgent need for this Assembly to support the modalities to actualize the advisory opinion rendered by the International Court of Justice regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
11. Prolonged occupation does not justify or make acceptable the hardships and injustices endured. This is particularly true for the people of Gaza, who continue to be brutally massacred. As a country that has endured genocide, Namibia believes that Israel, by intent and by action, is committing genocide. Namibia continues to call for a ceasefire and for humanitarian assistance to flow unhindered into Gaza.
Mr. President,
12. Economic hardships continue to affect the sister Republic of Cuba, in stark contrast to the ideals of inclusivity and the goal of leaving no one behind. Namibia calls for the end of the economic, financial, and commercial blockade against Cuba. Namibia also reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe, which hinders the country’s capacity to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
13. A further affront to the United Nations Charter, its purposes, and principles is the continued disenfranchisement of the people of Western Sahara, who are denied their right to selfdetermination. This 79th Session of UNGA must do more to change this situation.
Mr. President,
14. In conclusion, Namibia is a child of international solidarity, midwifed by the United Nations, and therefore remains its firm proponent. The United Nations system can be strengthened if we hold hands and work together as bridge builders as
illustrated by the Summit of the Future. By choosing the way of collaboration over enmity, peaceful dialogue over war and conflict, and deescalation over escalation, we can achieve our shared goal of a more peaceful, just and prosperous world.
Thank you