Geingob embarks on UAE trip to co-chair launch of the Critical Raw Materials Club at COP28
The President, H.E Dr Hage Geingob, held his annual end-of-year 2023 press briefing at the State House in Windhoek on Monday before departing for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference(COP28).
The COP28 meeting will be held from 30 November to 12 December in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. As the world gathers to address pressing climate issues, the President departed for the COP28 Global Stocktake, where he will co-chair alongside the President of the European Union Commission, H.E Ursula von der Leyen, the launch of the Critical Raw Materials Club.
Nangolo Mbumba, Vice President, Hon Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister, and ministers were present during the briefing.
He further highlighted the “progress that the government had made in 2023 about strengthening the foundations of the Namibian House for the benefit of all.”
“We have survived the turbulent headwinds – the commodity downturn; droughts recorded to have been the most severe in history; and when we were about to turn the corner, COVID-19 hit us badly,” the President noted.
In addition, President Geingob stated that he made specific commitments to consolidating the Effective Governance Architecture through open lines of communication. He asserted that he consulted and engaged citizens on issues affecting their lives through about 30 town hall consultations, each lasting five hours, and that meetings were open to the press in an unprecedented manner.
“We have circumvented the rough tides, and now, we stand ready to forge ahead and revive the Namibian economy by continuing our drive for shared prosperity. In my penultimate State of the Nation Address at the beginning of the year, I said that the success of our country does not depend on one single person but on every citizen; every son and daughter of our soil must become a catalyst for development and change,” he said.
While speaking during the occasion of the year 2023 press briefing, the President also touched on the various official visits and meetings he participated in this year. He attended, amongst others, the African Union (AU) 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 18 to 19 February.
On 24 February, the President launched the Use of Identity Documents (IDs) as Travel Documents between Namibia and Botswana at the Trans-Kalahari/Mamuno Border Post with President Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi.
Moreover, on 20 April, at the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa, he also paid a state visit to South Africa. The visit intended to boost Namibia’s and South Africa’s “existing” bilateral relations.
“In addition to bilateral discussions on problems like the Orange River border dispute and the Southern African Customs Union, we discussed regional, continental, and international issues of mutual importance.”
He explained that the state visit provided Namibia and South Africa with an opportunity to expand bilateral cooperation, enhance economic cooperation, explore trade and investment opportunities, and discover new areas of cooperation in the fields of Green Hydrogen, including the Oil and Gas industries. On 27 and 28 April, he hosted H.E. Sauli Niinistö, President of the Republic of Finland, on a state visit to Namibia.
“Development cannot be tangible without effective multilateral and bilateral partners. Therefore, I would like to thank our development cooperation partners, including the UN system and the EU, as well as our bilateral partners who have made tangible contributions throughout the year. Our efforts in economic transformation and the acceleration of the SDGs have been enhanced because of the continued collaboration we have fostered with all of you,” he concluded.
