Namibia's economic and social future was the focus of a two-day conference that was held in Windhoek and organized by the Namibia Institute of Corporate Governance.
The conference was an opportunity to discuss practical solutions to help Namibia achieve sustainable economic and social development.
The conference, themed "Mind Shift: Real Contextualized Sustainability for Namibia," was aimed at contextualizing a range of locally impacting policy documents, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); environmental, social, and governance factors (ESGs); the successive Harambee Prosperity Plans (HPPs) and National Development Plans (NDPs); and nationally determined contributions to reducing global emissions, adapting to the impact of climate change, and identifying ways to achieve a sustainable economic and social future.
Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi stressed the importance of sustainable development for Namibia's economic growth and social progress.
He also highlighted the government's commitment to creating an enabling environment for private-sector investment and promoting public-private partnerships.
"It's very important, and that is the message from the President. We are happy that we are talking about governance because that is how we are going to achieve results; that is how we are going to manage development both on the side of the state and on the private side."
Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo stressed the need to contextualize the documents scrutinized and called for the promotion of responsible resource governance and a just transition to a new energy mix.
"I have reason to believe that our institutions, political system, and legal framework are such that there's no reason why oil discovery and green hydrogen should not be a blessing for us. What we need to do is however to manage these resources with a clear understanding that these resources and benefits derived from them belong to both the current and future generations."
The conference attracted industry leaders, government officials, and other stakeholders interested in Namibia's economic and social development.
Sessions focused on thematic areas, including the governance of natural resources, the economic and social impact of a just energy transition in Namibia, and the debate over transitioning from traditional energy sources to a new energy mix that includes fossil fuels, synthetic fuel, hydrogen, and renewable energy.
Governance of state assets was another important topic addressed, with panel discussions on the contribution of public enterprises to corporate citizenship and corporate social investment.