President Hage Geingob has acknowledged Swapo Party vice president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as Namibia’s next possible first female president at the 78th United Nations General Assembly underway in New York.
Praising Namibia’s efforts to close the gender gap while addressing the assembly on Wednesday Geingob said “The current deputy prime minister has been chosen by the current ruling party to be the candidate and very soon after I leave in a year’s time… She will be the one to stand here”.
Geingob said advocating for gender equality is not only a matter of fairness, however, it is an essential step toward unlocking innovation, diversity, and social cohesion, noting that the country has 44 per cent female representation in Parliament, including females in the prime minister and deputy prime minister positions and two-thirds of the key banking institutions are headed by women.
Namibia, he said believes in promoting inclusive and effective governance that ensures youth integration into decision-making structures to play their part in a future they have helped to shape.
Geingob emphasised that the world is in a state of flux and progress is uneven therefore cognisance of interconnectedness between all the goals and targets calls for accelerated investments in healthcare, renewable energy, education, clean water and sanitation.
“The terrifying gap between the wealthy and the marginalised 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,” said the President.
Geingob equally called for the unjust embargo against the Cuban people to be lifted and appealed to the United States of America to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
These selective punitive measures against Zimbabwe and Venezuela must also be lifted, as these measures constitute the greatest obstacle to the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he stressed.
He equally called on the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara and the people of Palestine, stressing that the UN Charter remains an important source of inspiration, reflecting the commonly agreed upon values of diplomacy and peaceful co-existence.
“The challenges we face today are not insurmountable. By holding hands and renewing our commitment to multilateralism, we can reverse the worst effects of the unprecedented global challenges of global warming, global inequality, pandemics and conflicts.
We have it within us to act now and to build the world we want. In that world, no one should feel left out,” said Geingob.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency