By: Justicia Shipena
International relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said if Africa remains outside the permanent membership of the UN Security Council, the legitimacy of its decision on issues concerning Africa will be questioned should they fail to consider African aspirations.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said this last week when she met the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Namibia in Windhoek.
The minister said Namibia is working on a three-year term on the peace and security council of the African Union.
“It is against that background that we must remain committed to the
cause to realise our common responsibilities. I am looking forward to our future engagements,” she said.
She added that heads of the mission now present letters of accreditation virtually, and the presentation of credentials ceremonies are not held as frequently as they used to be.
The minister also said economic diplomacy remains crucial, and Namibia focuses on attracting investors to participate in economic activities, such as the green hydrogen project.
She further said that Namibia had had in-and-outbound trade
missions with Angola, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Qatar, Spain, Switzerland and the United States of America in the year’s first quarter.
Moreover, she emphasised that meetings between diplomats and Namibian ministers should continue to strengthen cordial relationships.
The importance of regular dialogue with you on issues of common interest to Namibia and your respective countries and organisations
must, therefore, remain our priority in the course of our common assignment.
“All the above cooperation frameworks aim to enhance and promote our economic diplomacy, thereby strengthening bilateral relations between our respective countries.”
Namibia participated in the UN Ocean Conference this year, co-hosted by Kenya and Portugal.
Last week, Namibia joined the family of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held in Kigali, Rwanda.
Namibia also has participated in several UN Conferences, such as Stokholm+50, in June 2022. Namibia is set to partake in the 27th UN Climate Change Conference in November 2022.
The green hydrogen project is a full-scale development by the Namibian government which will produce 300 000 tons of green hydrogen per annum before the end of the decade for regional and global markets, from 5-6 GW of renewable generation capacity and 3GW of electrolyser capacity, cutting 5-6 million tonnes per annum of CO2 emissions.
“Namibia recognises the importance of a just energy transition. We therefore, we wish to register our appreciation for all our bilateral and
multilateral partners who have been working with us and assisting us in our desire to become a leading green hydrogen hub on the continent,” she said.
Last year, Namibia participated in the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, encouraging more urgent greenhouse gas emissions cuts.
justicia@thevillager.com.na