Namibia's interest in the Pact for the Future is grounded in the understanding that multilateral institutions, including the Security Council, do not represent African needs and aspirations.
President Nangolo Mbumba stated this during his maiden address to the UN General Assembly high-level debate underway in New York.
Dr. Mbumba said the institutions created in 1945 must better respond to today's challenges.
"At the core of the Pact is this recognition and the urgency for profound global transformation. At the heart of our quest to rebuild trust in multilateralism is a legitimate demand to be recognised as equal partners. Partners who can be trusted. Partners in the fight against war, poverty, global injustice, and inequality."
Namibia is particularly concerned about the impact of climate change, the President told the Assembly, as changes in ocean temperatures have affected the country's fish stocks.
This has the potential to pose long-term consequences for the livelihoods of Namibians, ecosystems, and tourism.
"Namibia and the rest of the SADC region are going through the El Niño phenomenon, which has adversely impacted food security. In this regard, Namibia had to declare a State of Emergency to address the severe effects of drought."
Touching on the success in achieving gender equality, Dr. Mbumba revealed that Namibia remains among the top nine countries globally that have closed at least 80% of the gender gap.
Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, which was adopted by the UN to promulgate a set of principles concerning the equality of men and women.
"In the past 12 months, we have achieved perfect parity in the National Assembly, where 50% of representatives are women. Namibia is preparing for the 8th Presidential and National Assembly Elections on November 27, 2024. Political parties, including the ruling party, have nominated female candidates. We hope that the United Nations will have a female Secretary-General in the near future."
The general debate debates continue under the theme "Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations."