NNN highlights peace, gender and reform at UNGA

Speaking at the high-level general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed her country’s commitment to multilateralism, sustainable development and international justice.

Addressing global leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted the founding principles of the UN: promoting peace, safeguarding human rights and ensuring equality among nations. She praised the organisation’s role in supporting Namibia’s independence and emphasised the continued importance of international solidarity.

“The UN has continued to fulfil its founding mandate under very difficult circumstances. Therefore, the international community must honour the brave men and women who, under the blue flag, have been at the forefront in securing world peace,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.

SUSTAINABLE EMPOWERMENT

The president outlined Namibia’s development priorities under the eighth administration, themed “Unity in Diversity, Natural Resources Beneficiation and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development”. Key sectors include agriculture, education, health, housing and creative industries, supported by mining, energy, tourism, transport and infrastructure, all guided by the nation’s Vision 2030 and National Development Plans (NDPs).

She also noted Namibia’s initiatives to empower youth, such as the National Youth Fund (NYF) launched on 29 September 2025, free access to public higher education and vocational training centres, as well as its energy diversification strategy, which includes presenting the country’s Energy Compact to the Africa Energy Forum (AEF).

On global challenges, the president warned that climate change, economic instability and conflicts threaten livelihoods and ecosystems. “Climate change is scorching our lands and drying up our rivers. Global instability is impacting 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 noted.

Namibia is bidding to host the African Regional Hub of the Green Climate Fund, and the president called for urgent action to implement the Namib Declaration to combat desertification. She also stressed the need for ethical regulation of artificial intelligence, ensuring transparency and human oversight.

Highlighting global inequalities, Nandi-Ndaitwah urged multilateral cooperation to tackle youth unemployment, inadequate housing, education, healthcare, energy and debt distress. She further called for strengthened peacekeeping and political resolutions in Africa, including eastern DRC, and demanded progress on longstanding issues such as Western Sahara, sanctions against Cuba, Zimbabwe and Venezuela, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

“The unprecedented human suffering of the people of Palestine should question our human conscience. What we need is constructive dialogue to prevail. The people of Palestine must also benefit from the noble promises of the United Nations Charter,” she added. Additionally, the president called for urgent reform of the United Nations to democratise global governance, amplify marginalised voices and uphold international law as protection for vulnerable populations. Namibia, co-facilitating last year’s Pact for the Future summit with Germany, emphasised the need for collective action to address peace, security, sustainable development and climate change.

“We have the opportunity to restore hope, to build a future defined not by division, but by unity and preservation of human dignity,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah. She reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to the multilateral order, emphasising that even the smallest nations must have a voice in shaping global peace and justice.

We have the opportunity to restore hope, to build a future defined not by division, but by unity and preservation of human dignity.

GENDER PROGRESS

During the UNGA high-level meeting commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed Namibia’s strong commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, highlighting that since Namibia’s independence in 1990, the country has consistently aligned its national policies with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which first declared that women’s rights are human rights.

Achievements include closing 81.1% of the gender gap, ranking eighth worldwide and first in Africa in the 2025 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report. “Namibia now has a female president, vice president, speaker of the National Assembly and secretary-general of SWAPO, the ruling party in Namibia. It is encouraging to note that women hold 57% of cabinet positions and 38.5% in the National Assembly, including key ministries like Finance, Health, Education and International Relations and Trade,” she said.

Despite these milestones, the president acknowledged that economic inclusion remains a major challenge, particularly for rural women who often lack access to land, credit and markets. With women comprising 70% of informal traders, Namibia’s new National Gender Equality and Equity Policy 2025–2035 prioritises resource accessibility, women-owned micro-enterprises and agricultural support through institutions like the Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank) to empower women and young people.

Reflecting on her role as rapporteur-general during the 1995 Beijing Conference, Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed Namibia’s pledge to accelerate progress on gender equality, stressing continued efforts to eliminate gender-based violence, dismantle harmful social norms, strengthen partnerships and advance gender-responsive budgeting. Concluding the six-day 80th session, held under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights”, UNGA President Annalena Baerbock urged nations to build on the week’s constructive spirit, emphasising unity, collective action and shared leadership in addressing global challenges.

Maggie Forcelledo Paz