Justicia Shipena
Namibia has called for the implementation of the Namib Declaration on the United Nations (UN) Convention to combat desertification.
The call was made by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as she delivered her maiden speech at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
Nandi-Ndaitwah asserted that this is crucial for achieving a world free from land-degradation.
The declaration aims to reverse land degradation and to mitigate the impacts of drought.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said climate change continues to harm livelihoods and ecosystems.
“Climate change is scorching our lands and drying up our rivers. Global instability is affecting our markets and jeopardising our livelihoods. These are interconnected symptoms of a deeper fragility in our shared systems. They require our collective action, rooted in empathy and shared responsibility,” she told world leaders.
At the same time, she announced Namibia’s bid to host the African Regional Hub of the Green Climate Fund, stressing the urgency of addressing severe droughts, floods, and other calamities brought about by climate change.
She said Namibia acknowledges advances across all fields but warned of ethical boundaries.
“Artificial intelligence must not be a substitute for human judgement or responsibility. We, therefore, call for global standards that ensure that the usage of AI remains transparent and fair for humanity,” she said.
She also stressed the need for a more agile and inclusive United Nations.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia and SADC remain committed to promoting peace and stability in the Eastern DRC and support efforts to align the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes.
She urged the UN Security Council to strengthen negotiations and peacekeeping across Africa.
She raised Namibia’s concern over the unresolved question of Western Sahara.
“The impasse in the UN Security Council over the question of Western Sahara is an injustice, more than 34 years after the adoption of Resolution 690 of 1991. The time for holding the UN Referendum on the Right to Self-Determination for the People of Saharawi is now!” she said.
She further called for Security Council reform in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, describing Africa as a priority and special case.
“We can no longer delay the urgent call to redress the historical injustice to Africa and address our call for equitable and balanced representation on the Security Council,” she stressed.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said unilateral coercive measures undermine sovereign states.
She thus called for lifting sanctions on Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela.
“We call for an end to the continued illegal economic, financial and commercial embargo imposed on the friendly people of Cuba and to remove her from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. We call for an end to the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe. We are also gravely concerned about the emerging threats against Venezuela and call for the removal of sanctions and threats against that country,” she said.
She also condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We call on the UN Security Council to find consensus and help put an end to this longstanding conflict between Israel and Palestine,” she said.
