President Nangolo Mbumba has defended the Pact for the Future – the United Nations’ (UN) declaration committing to a better world for future generations.
With Namibia committing to green hydrogen and renewable energy, participation in international summits and conferences is paramount.
Speaking at State House yesterday, Mbumba said the Pact for the Future is an intergovernmental, action-oriented agreement adopted by consensus.
The Pact of the Future was adopted at the UN 75th General Assembly.
It covers key areas such as sustainable development and financing, international peace and security, science and technology innovation, youth and future generations and the transformation of global governance.
“Since I received letters from different quarters questioning why Namibia co-chaired the summit and co-facilitated the drafting of the pact, I need to make it very clear here that Namibia did not negotiate any legally-binding agreement,” Mbumba said.
The Summit of the Future also produced and adopted a global digital compact and a declaration on future generations as annexes to the pact.
“None of these documents impose any legal obligations on the Namibian government,” Mbumba said.
The Pact for the Future provides a guideline and proposals on how governments can work together to urgently address global challenges such as climate change and conflicts, and so that they can accelerate the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“I have tasked the prime minister to see how best we can align and fit our policies to respond better to the call in the Pact for the Future,” the president said.
Republican Party president Henk Mudge publicly criticised the government and the UN over their handling of the Pact of the Future, accusing Mbumba of signing an agreement without consulting parliament.
Mbumba also participated in the 2024 Hamburg Sustainability Conference, where he participated in the opening panel, alongside the International Monetary Fund managing director, the president of the World Bank and German chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“I made the case for reforming the international financial system to better respond to the needs of developing countries,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Planning Commission director general Obeth Kandjoze also spoke at the meeting yesterday, noting that Namibia had a strong presence at both the UN meeting and the Hamburg conference.
According to Kandjoze, numerous messages of congratulations were received, with wide participation from across the UN system. He highlighted these events as significant moments that have elevated Namibia’s profile on the global stage.
“The international financial architecture featured very prominently, and that’s what we are experiencing at the very moment, not just in the sustainability and development aspects of the country, but in the green space and regarding climate change,” he said.
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