Niël Terblanché
The Namibian President, Dr. Hage Geingob has concluded a comprehensive and impactful participation in the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) in New York in what is referred to as a high-level week.
The assembly, convened under the theme “Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity,” and discussions centred on peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability.
During his time in New York, President Geingob engaged in crucial dialogues, emphasizing sustainable development and global solidarity. He held bilateral talks with various global leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo.
These talks were instrumental in discussing co-leadership of the UN Summit for the Future, addressing climate change, and fortifying diplomatic and trade relations.
President Geingob actively participated in the Sustainable Development Summit 2023, presenting Namibia as a forefront player in global goal recalibration and acceleration.
He addressed key transitions to accelerate SDG progress, highlighting challenges like severe droughts, commodity crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic that affected Namibia’s development trajectory.
The President expressed concerns about the potentially misleading classification of Namibia as an upper-middle-income country and emphasized the country’s unique opportunities in green hydrogen production, renewable energy, and underwater kelp cultivation.
He underscored the mobilization of over $1.2 billion in financing commitments through innovative financial collaborations.
In addition to highlighting Namibia’s potential as a green-hydrogen hub, President Geingob emphasized the necessity for the United Nations to amplify its commitment to reforms.
He outlined Namibia’s ambitions and contributions to combating climate change through the production of green hydrogen and stressed the country’s aims to offer clean, affordable energy to the global economy.
President Geingob also attended the UNAIDS Think Pandemics-Think Inequality High-Level Event, stressing the direct correlation between peace and equality.
“If you have inequality, you cannot have peace. We need to deal with all forms of practices that generate inequalities.
It is time to act,” he said while addressing the event.
In a touching moment at the Apollo Theater, alongside global dignitaries such as his counterpart from Botswana, President Mokgweetsi E. Masisi, President Geingob urged the African Diaspora to actively participate in reshaping perceptions about Africa.
During the 70th anniversary of The Africa-America Institute, he shared insights on education as a transformative and liberating force.
“It is only through education that the son of a farmworker becomes the President of a country, and it is through education that the daughter of a domestic worker becomes a medical doctor,” he said during that event.
During a stop-over in France, President Geingob had a meaningful discourse at Sciences Po, emphasizing collective leadership and elucidating on gender equality, the 1904 genocide, and climate change.
President Geingob also welcomed courtesy visits from his counterparts, President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe and President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, to deliberate on peace, security, and the fortification of bilateral ties in the SADC region.
President Geingob’s active engagement and leadership at the UNGA 78 highlighted Namibia’s progressive stance on global issues and emphasized its commitment to sustainable development, international collaboration, and the recalibration of global goals.
His advocacy for equality, green energy, and education resonated with the international community, reinforcing Namibia’s presence on the global stage.
