WINDHOEK: The president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dennis Francis, has commended Namibia for its active participation at the UN, including its leading role in preparing for the Summit of the Future.

He made this comment in reference to Namibia and Germany jointly facilitating the hosting of the summit, which is seen as a unique opportunity for the global community to strengthen cooperation and address gaps in global governance.

‘Today, Namibia is relentlessly active and engaged at the United Nations – most notably, into the second year as a dependable and trusted co-facilitator of the intergovernmental preparatory process for the Summit of the Future in September,’ Francis said.

He added that it is during this pivotal and eagerly anticipated summit that world leaders are expected to forge a new global consensus on the modalities by which to ‘strengthen our multilateral system and recapture our commitment to international solidarity and cooperation.’

‘Even as we speak, the groundwork is
being painstakingly laid to achieve these ends and I am therefore grateful to your own Ambassador Neville Gertze, alongside Ambassador Antje Leendertse of Germany – who, as co-facilitators, have skillfully led what is an intricately delicate but promising intergovernmental negotiations process,’ Francis said in his address to the Namibian Parliament on Thursday.

‘As credence to the investment that Namibia is making in the Summit of the Future process, the Pact for the Future – together with two other outcomes, namely the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations – cannot fall short of ensuring that our multilateral system delivers better for the African continent and its peoples.’

The Summit of the Future is scheduled for 22-23 September at the UN headquarters in New York. This high-level event is seen as a unique opportunity for the global community to establish a new international consensus and address gaps in global governance.

‘The Summit of the Future is part of a continuum of e
fforts to deliver faster and smarter on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and, importantly, the Paris Agreement on climate change, which remains our best answer to the myriad effects of the climate crisis,’ Francis said.

The UNGA president’s address to the joint parliament was part of his official programme during his visit to Namibia. He also held talks with President Nangolo Mbumba and Deputy President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

Source: Namibia Press Agency