Focus needs to be on responding effectively to the findings of the UN Monitoring Report says Aochamub
During the 217th Session of the UNESCO Executive Board, Albertus Aochamub, the representative to the Executive Board Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, emphasized the need for an effective response to the findings of the UN Monitoring Report, which unfortunately suggests that no country is on track to achieve all of the 17 SDG’s by 2030.
Namibia shares this opinion and believes that this issue should be a priority.
“We, however, remain eternally optimistic as we march towards the 2024 Summit of the Future aimed at redoubling our efforts in achieving the goals of Agenda 2030,” he said.
According to Aochamub, the revised UNESCO budget ceilings will further enable us to promote and safeguard African heritage and enhance Africa’s representation on the World Heritage Register.
“On the Education front, we also appreciate the improved budget ceilings as we rededicate ourselves to strengthening the teaching of the General History of Africa and revitalizing the Routes of the Enslaved Peoples. These initiatives will provide a comprehensive understanding of African history and serve as catalysts for dialogue and reconciliation. 5. In the realm of science, we wish to see further improvements in open access to scientific information and freedom,” he said, adding that the implementation of Campus Africa will enhance cooperation among higher education institutions, creating fertile ground for women scientists and young researchers to flourish.
According to Aochamub, Namibia fully endorses the proposed draft decision 217/Ex5.
“We recognize the immense significance of technical and vocational education and training in equipping individuals with the knowledge and expertise essential for navigating the complexities of today’s job market,” he added.
On Water Security, Aochamub said Namibia wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the IHP Secretariat and the Division of Water Sciences for excellent work at the recent Water Forum in Senegal and the Water Conference in New York.
“This foundational work promotes sustainable water management practices and significantly contributes to the achievement of the SDGs,” he said.
On the Ethics of AI, Aochamub said Namibia welcomes the comprehensive progress report to this session of the Executive Board on the Implementation of the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“For her part, Namibia wishes to report satisfactory progress on its implementation roadmap and is grateful to be included in the pilot of the readiness assessment methodology (RAM) and the ethical impact assessment,” he said.
Meanwhile, Aochamub said Namibia further appreciates UNESCO’s support with the initiation of the
national ROAM-X assessment using all the 303 indicators of UNESCO’s Internet Universality Indicators (IUIs) framework. “This exercise is critical for the development of evidence-based policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the national Internet System as advanced ICTs evolve,” he said.
Aochamub said on access to information; with Namibia having promulgated the Access to Information Act into law in 2022, UNESCO has supported the Training of Public Sector Communications officers and journalists from both the public and private sectors as well.
“We wish to express our gratitude for that partnership as well. As Namibia concludes its term on the Executive Board, we wish to extend our deepest gratitude to all colleagues for the invaluable partnerships, collaboration, and shared commitment to the noble objectives of our organisation,” he concluded.
