I would like to
congratulate the President on his unanimous election to
preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth
session. We are confident that he will discharge the
responsibilities of that office with honour and dignity,
given his track record and experience. I wish to assure
him of Namibia’s support and cooperation to ensure
that his tenure in office is crowned with success. In the
same vein, I wish to commend His Excellency
Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann for the able manner
in which he presided over the Assembly at its sixty-
third session. I equally wish to express our sincere
appreciation to the Secretary-General, His Excellency
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his tireless efforts in leading our
Organization to respond effectively to the large number
of challenges and pressing issues facing humanity.
We are meeting today at a very challenging time.
The impact of the world financial and economic crisis
on our countries and economies is very severe. This
crisis is a major concern that requires concerted efforts
to search for effective methods of coping with it, in
order to mitigate its impact and to achieve sustainable
growth and development. This crisis is taking its toll
on every aspect of our development and social life. The
progress that we made in the fight against poverty,
hunger and diseases, as well as in achieving the
internationally agreed development goals, including
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), is
threatened.
The financial crisis came in the middle of the
food and energy crisis. Skyrocketing prices of basic
foodstuffs, though said to have stabilized now, have
left many households unable to put food on the table.
Net food importing countries like Namibia had to
divert resources from development to emergency relief,
while importing high-priced food destabilized our
balance of payments and State revenues.
The situation was also worsened by high fuel
prices. Oil-importing developing countries like ours
have been negatively affected by ever-increasing oil
prices, which have also led to price increases in other
sectors, as suppliers of goods and services raise prices
to make up for production and transportation costs.
The financial and economic crisis, coupled with
the food and energy crisis, has plunged the world into a
global recession. The combination of these crises with
climate change and its adverse impact on sustainable
development is cause for great concern. Namibia, like
many other developing countries, is an insignificant
contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Yet our
country is one of the most vulnerable to the effects of
climate change. I therefore call upon major emitters to
not only make drastic reductions in their greenhouse
gas emissions, but also to use technology and financial
resources to support the efforts of developing countries
to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. The
Government of the Republic of Namibia fully supports
the efforts of the Secretary-General to mobilize
political will to ensure a good and legally binding
agreement on climate change in Copenhagen this
December.
Namibia is one of the countries with the highest
socio-economic inequality in the world because of its
colonial past. Nevertheless, the country has made
progress in the provision of health, education and other
critical services for the majority of the population, and
we are on course to meet a number of the MDGs.
However, we face severe difficulties in
responding to the combination of the devastating
HIV/AIDS pandemic, high levels of food insecurity
and poverty. I once again call upon the international
community to increase support to our national
programmes for sustainable economic and social
development through measures such as market access
and access to financial resources in the form of
concessional loans and foreign direct investment flows.
The need for a strong and effective United
Nations cannot be overemphasized. The process for the
reform of the Organization should be expedited in
order to deliver on its promises in the maintenance of
international peace and security, respect for human
rights, social and economic development and the
protection of the environment.
There is an urgent need to reform the Security
Council to make it more representative, democratic and
accountable. Is it not an anomaly, and unjust, that
Africa remains the only region without permanent
representation on the Security Council? This does not
reflect the continent’s vital role in the maintenance of
global peace and security. The need for Africa to be
equitably represented on the Council, with all the
privileges associated with membership, remains our
priority. In this regard, Namibia stands by the common
5 09-52598
African position on the reform of the United Nations as
articulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte
Declaration.
Namibia welcomes the joint communiqué on
strengthening the capacity of the African Union (AU)
in peacekeeping operations, as agreed to by the United
Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace
and Security Council, as a step in the right direction.
There is a need for more structured and formalized
cooperation between the two bodies on issues of peace
and security in Africa. Such cooperation should also
include the areas of financing, logistics, transfer of
technology and training. Furthermore, there is a need
for the United Nations to support the AU position of
principle on not recognizing Governments that come to
power through military coups. Namibia calls upon the
General Assembly to urgently pass a resolution
prohibiting the participation of such Governments in
the activities of all United Nations institutions.
The right of all people to self-determination is a
fundamental human right, which is enshrined in the
United Nations Charter. It is deplorable that almost
10 years into the twenty-first century colonialism is
still an issue with which this Organization has to deal.
My delegation has raised its voice repeatedly in
this Assembly, calling for the realization of the
inalienable rights of the people of Western Sahara to
self-determination. The international community has an
obligation to assist the people of Western Sahara in
their quest for freedom and independence. Namibia
therefore calls for the immediate and unconditional
implementation of the United Nations Settlement Plan
for Western Sahara and of all resolutions of the
Security Council and the General Assembly, with the
aim of holding a free and fair referendum in Western
Sahara.
Similarly, Namibia is deeply concerned about the
continuing suffering of the people of Palestine under
Israeli occupation. We wish to reaffirm our full and
unequivocal support for the inalienable rights of the
people of Palestine to self-determination, including the
return to their land. I wish to again call upon the
parties to resume the peace process on the basis of all
relevant United Nations resolutions.
My delegation wishes to reiterate its long-held
position on the unilateral economic, commercial and
financial blockade imposed against Cuba. We believe
that the blockade constitutes a violation of international
law and the rights of the people of Cuba. Its
extraterritorial nature impedes free trade and economic
development. Furthermore, it undermines the efforts of
the international community to attain the
internationally agreed development goals, as it affects
that country’s economy adversely and subjects its
people to untold pain and suffering.
We urge the Government of the United States of
America to heed the call of the international
community and to implement the resolutions of the
General Assembly that call for an end to the blockade.
Namibia wishes to reaffirm its solidarity with and
support of Cuba’s call for the immediate release of the
five Cuban nationals detained in the United States of
America.
I would like to seize this opportunity to express
our deep appreciation to the Governments and
international organizations that responded in a timely
manner to our appeal for support and assistance
following the devastating floods that my country has
experienced during the past two years. That assistance
has greatly contributed to the alleviation of the
suffering of those in the affected areas.
Finally, I wish to call upon all States Members of
the United Nations, in keeping with their
responsibilities and obligations under the United
Nations Charter, to fully address the challenges facing
humankind today in order to make the world a better
place for all and where we can all live together in
peace, security and true justice.