Namibia

Your Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the General Assembly Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Your Excellency Mr. António Guterres, Secretary- General of the United Nations, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Namibia congratulates you on your brilliant election as President of the 78th Session of the General Assembly. Allow me to use this opportunity to pledge to you the commitment of Namibia to support the priorities you had set out, namely Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability. Namibia would also like to thank your predecessor, His Excellency Csaba Kőrösi for steering with diligence the work of the 77th Session of the General Assembly.

Mr. President,

Let me state that Namibia agrees with Secretary General António Guterres, who a few months ago said:

"Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been." Therefore, the theme for this Session: "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, progress and sustainability for all" is fitting.

With the onset of COVID-19, the number of people living in extreme poverty rose for the first time in a generation. It demonstrates the fact that at midpoint to the Global Goals, we face the stark reality that we will miss our goals and targets. This 78th Session serves as a clarion call to reset and to work in the true spirit of partnership for better results on the ground. Indeed, the world is in a state of flux and progress is uneven. Taking cognisance of the interconnectedness between all the goals and targets, we should accelerate investments in healthcare, renewable energy, education, clean water and sanitation.

The terrifying gap between the wealthy and the marginalized is not just a moral concern, but also a threat to global stability and harmony. We are therefore duty bound to create an environment where prosperity is shared and is inclusive. In our collective pursuit of the 2030 Agenda, Namibia looks forward with hope and optimism to the Summit of the Future next year as an opportunity to prioritise meaningful reforms that can reinvigorate the Global Goals to give impetus to the broader system wide UN-reform agenda. Namibia also welcomes UN 2.0 and the "Quintet of Change", aiming to provide the United Nations family with cutting edge capabilities in data, digital innovation and expertise in order to deliver better and effective Member State support to accelerate development.

Mr. President,

The health of a nation is the bedrock for all developmental activities. This morning, the General Assembly will adopt a Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. Pandemics have long been formidable adversaries that disproportionately wreak havoc on the socio-economic fabric of developing countries. These crises go beyond their immediate health implications, unravelling years of development progress, straining healthcare systems, and exacerbating existing socio-economic disparities.

We need to change the status quo. To do so, we must end vaccine apartheid. We need to ensure equitable access to health products. We need stronger commitments from wealthy nations on technology transfer; on the removal of Intellectual Property (IP) barriers; and on investments in manufacturing to enable vaccine production in the Global South.

Mr. President,

I always say that inclusivity spells harmony and exclusivity spells conflict. The continued advocacy for gender equality is core in our collective journey toward a just and inclusive world. Therefore, advocating for gender equality is not only a matter of fairness; it is an essential step toward unlocking innovation, diversity, and social cohesion. We are indeed proud to be ranked by the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report of 2023 as the 8th country in the world for efforts to close the gender gap. In addition to having 44% female representation in Parliament, we have women in the positions of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, and two thirds of our key banking institutions are headed by women. In the same vein, we believe in promoting inclusive and effective governance, that ensures that the youth are integrated into decision making structures to play their part in a future they have helped to shape.

Mr. President,

Rapid advances in technology, quantum computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are transforming the global landscape, offering unprecedented challenges and opportunities for growth and development. Therefore, developing countries should not be left behind in this digital revolution. Access to technology can bridge gaps in education, healthcare, and economic development, propelling nations toward progress. We must navigate technological challenges and harness opportunities by fostering an environment that is conducive to technology transfer, technology adoption, skills development and collaboration.

Mr. President,

As we march toward COP 28 for the final global stocktake, we are acutely aware that the energy transition is not only a necessity for combatting climate change, but also an opportunity for economic development. Consistent with their pledges made at the Paris Climate Summit in 2015, developed nations must provide financial and technological support to enable developing countries to shift to cleaner energy sources without hampering development.

Three years ago, during the 75th General assembly, Namibia boldly announced its intention to change its economic structure by leveraging innovative financial tools to mobilize sustainable climate financing to combat climate change. One year later in Glasgow, Scotland, on the margins of COP26, we announced the development of large scale green hydrogen projects that would provide the world with the clean molecules needed to decarbonize hard to abate sectors. Today, we have more than 5 such projects under development, looking to deploy more than 20 billion US Dollars in order to develop our world class renewable energy potential to give our future generations a fighting chance against a warming planet.

Mr. President,

Developing a new synthetic fuels industry in Namibia is not just an opportunity to fight climate change but indeed offers an unparalleled opportunity for green industrialization. Namibia has now attracted new industries that are looking to make use of the cheap clean electricity and molecules that shall be produced in Namibia. One such pioneering example is the Oshivela project by HyIron, which plans to use Namibian produced green hydrogen to deliver the first industrial production of iron at net zero emissions. During the first phase of the project in 2024, an annual output of 15,000 tonnes of Direct Reduced Iron is planned. Oshivela will be one of the biggest primary production sites of green iron worldwide and is expected to sequestrate 27,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, equivalent to 50% of the carbon dioxide emissions of Namibia's entire power industry today.

In order to transport the clean molecules to their final destination, shipping which is yet another hard to abate sector, will also need to deploy innovative solutions. This is why Namibia is now developing green shipping corridors with Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping as we look to map and fund the development of carbon neutral maritime value chains from production, transportation, storage and consumption of the clean fuels and carbon free products made in Namibia and traded with the world. We are working with Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB-Tech), a shipping company from Belgium with plans to build a clean ammonia bunkering facility in Walvis Bay, at a cost of more than €2.2 billion in partnership with Namibia's own Olthaver and List Company. On the 28th of September 2023, this partnership named Cleanergy is expected to reveal plans to construct their first Namibian Green Hydrogen multi-modal service station.

Mr. President,

I always say that you do not make peace with your friends, you make peace with your enemies. Punitive measures imposed for over half a century on the Republic of Cuba, have brought untold hardships that have disenfranchised the Cuban people. The embargo against the Cuban people remains unjust and must therefore be lifted. Namibia appeals to the United States of America to remove the Republic of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, as there is no evidence to support such a classification. Selective punitive measures against Zimbabwe and Venezuela must also be lifted, as these measures constitute the greatest obstacle to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The United Nations Charter remains an important source of inspiration, reflecting the commonly agreed upon values of diplomacy and peaceful co-existence. We regard the Charter-enshrined right to self-determination for all peoples as essential. This rings true for the people of Western Sahara. While our right to self-determination has been upheld, the people of Western Sahara continue to remain under occupation. We recall how Morocco supported our right to self-determination and now call on them to do the same for the people of Western Sahara. Similarly, the people of Palestine, yearn to transition from the inhumane conditions of oppressive rule. Namibia is therefore pleased with the decision of the General Assembly to submit to the International Court of Justice, a request for an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

Mr. President,

The challenges we face today are not insurmountable. By holding hands and by renewing our commitment to multilateralism, we can reverse the worst effects of the unprecedented global challenges of global warming, global inequality, pandemics and conflicts. By holding hands, we have it within us to act now and to build the world we want. In that world, no one should feel left out.

I thank you