The United Nations has marked its 80th anniversary, celebrating eight decades of global peace, development, and humanitarian efforts.
The UN has played a key role in promoting human rights, sustainable development, and international cooperation, and Namibia has been a strong partner in these efforts.
Speaking at the celebration, the UN Resident Coordinator in Namibia, Hopolong Phororo, commended Namibia for its commitment to multilateralism, calling the country a champion for cooperation and progress within SADC, the African Union, and the United Nations.
"For Namibia, the United Nations has never been an abstract idea. It has been a partner in the defining moments of the nation's history. Since 1946, Namibia has been on the UN agenda. The country's path to independence was shaped by international solidarity and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. As it is commonly said by Namibian leaders, Namibia was midwifed by the United Nations. Without the UN, Namibia's independence or the end of apartheid would not have unfolded in the same way."
She highlighted Namibia's leadership in advancing regional and global priorities, including peace, gender equality and sustainable development.
Phororo noted that the UN has helped strengthen the national health system, supported the HIV response, and laid the foundations for universal health coverage.
Partnerships between Namibia and the UN extended to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and disaster risk management.
The Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, emphasised the country's leadership role in multilateral cooperation and highlighted Namibia's commitment to sustainable development and peace.
"We consider ourselves a proud product of international solidarity through the United Nations. An organisation created from the most unfathomable destruction and the ashes of the Second World War. The preamble of the UN Charter attests to one of the many key tenets of the UN."
The day was celebrated under the theme "80 Voices for 80 Years of the United Nations".