Namibia, 2009

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.