We still want Green Climate secretariat
Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
“As the race to host the Fund’s Secretariat intensifies, the government has become aware of maliscious allegations that Namibia is to withdraw its bid to host the fund. These allegations are completely unfounded and rejected in the strongest terms,” Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasied.
Namibia is among six countries bidding to host the sectretariat. Other countries are Germany, Mexico, Poland, Republic of Korea and Switzerland. The 24 board members of the Green Climate Fund held their first meeting in Geneva, Switzerland from 23 to 25 August where Namibia presented its bid to host the fund. The minister believes that Namibia has emerged as serious contender to host the fund despite stiff competition from other bidding countries. The second meeting is scheduled to take place in Songdo, Republic of Korea from 18 to 20 October 2012.
According to Nandi-Ndaitwah Namibia’s decision to apply to host the fund was a conscious, collective decision of government and resources have been mobilized accordingly to show that the country is prepared, committed and capable of hosting the secretariat. Given that the fund is mandated to serve the interests of developing countries, the minister said that it was logical for the secretariat to be located in the developing world where the impact of and vulnerability to climate change is greatest.
“Namibia demonstrates strong leadership and is a role model for other developing countries in the area of climate change and broader enevironmental management. The finalisation of our National Climate Change Policy in 2011 is the latest manifestation of this,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah. Both the African Union and SADC have endorsed Namibia’s bid to host the secretariat in Windhoek.
A number of decisions were taken at the meeting in Geneva that will lay the foundations for the operationalisation of the fund. These include the decision on how to conduct the process to select the host country of the fund, which will be an important element of the board’s report to the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Doha, Qatar from 26 November to 7 December 2012.
The Green Climate Fund will provide simplified and improved access to climate change funding to developing countries, including direct access, basing its activities on a country-driven approach. It was established in December 2011 in Durban, South Africa by the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC with the purpopse of making a significant and ambitious contribution to the global efforts towards attaining the goals set by the international community to combat climate change.
