UN Secretary General heads to Namibia

UN Secretary General

coming to Namibia

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

 

By Moses Magadza

It is official.

After three invitations by President Hifikepunye Pohamba, the eighth Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, is coming to Namibia.

After a third invitation which Prime Minister Dr Hage Geingob personally delivered, Ban Ki-Moon will finally be in the country on 24 and 25 June, 2014.

Ban Ki-Moon’s wife, Yoo Soon-Taek, is set to accompany him on the visit which will be the second to Namibia by a Secretary General of the United Nations in 24 years. The first such visit was at independence in 1990, when now former Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar visited the country to witness its political independence.

Another notable member of Ban Kin-Moon’s entourage to Namibia will be Ambassador Hailey

Ambassador Hailey Menkerios

Menkerios, the UN Under-Secretary General for the Great Lakes and Southern Africa. He is the man who is responsible for coordinating UN efforts for Peace and Security as well as democratic transition in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa.

Ambassador Musinga Bandora, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Namibia, said that the UN boss is expected to hold official talks with President Pohamba and meet development partners, the UN family in Namibia and some Cabinet Ministers. He will also inaugurate the UN House in Namibia.

 “The Secretary General is coming to consult, learn, and appreciate what Namibia has achieved as well as to see what the United Nations can do more to strengthen its partnership with the country,” Bandora said.

The Government of the Republic of Namibia built the UN House in Klein Windhoek to allow for better coordination of UN agencies working in the country. Although some countries that include Botswana have built premises for the UN, observers say in terms of beauty and functionality, the UN house in Namibia stands alone.

Ban Ki-Moon’s visit comes at a time when Namibia has shown remarkable leadership in efforts to respond to HIV/AIDS and other socioeconomic issues. Bandora says thanks to political will and collaboration with development partners that include the UN, HIV prevalence rates in the country have fallen by 50 percent in the last decade while AIDS-related deaths have also fallen by 50 percent in the same period.  Access to treatment has increased to almost 85 percent towards universal access. 

Mother-to-Child transmission of HIV has dropped to six percent and the country is moving towards elimination while funding by the government towards the national response has moved from under 50 percent to 60 percent. 

With the end date for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) just months away, observers say Namibia stands tall among countries that are regarded as being on target in several MDGs although it is lagging in some.

For example, on the MDG on poverty, Namibia is lagging behind in terms of inequality but poverty rates have fallen to about 29 percent from about 59 percent, according to the UN.   In education, enrollment of boys and girls is now almost at 100 percent. In terms of gender equality, the UN’s view is that the status of women in the country has improved and the governing SWAPO party recently announced a 50:50 gender policy.

In terms of drinking water, access is at about 85 percent but sanitation remains a big problem, with over 50 percent of Namibians practicing open defecation. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is now developing a policy of reinvigorated action to address some of the MDGs where, with a little more focus, capacity and resources, Namibia might meet the targets. 

These remarkable successes notwithstanding, observers say Namibia, which is classified as a middle income country, still faces a plethora of challenges, not least among them eradicating statistical poverty and inequality.

Ban Ki-Moon’s visit is also being eagerly anticipated by members of the UN family in the country. The UN SG does not visit country offices often and certainly he seldom visits when a country is not in a crisis.

Said Bandora: “As the UN family, we are excited that we are able to receive the UN SG and to be able to take formal possession of the UN House built for us by the Government of Namibia. We will also be able to tell the SG our own perspective of UN work in Namibia.”