The Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Frans Kapofi, led Namibia's delegation to the 8th United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting in Berlin, Germany.

Accompanied by senior military officers, Minister Kapofi joined over 1,000 participants, including foreign and defence ministers from more than 60 countries.

The high-level event focused on shaping the future of peacekeeping and addressing the evolving challenges facing modern peace operations.

Held under the theme "Shaping the Future of Peacekeeping and Addressing the Challenges Facing Modern Peace Operations", this year's ministerial gathering emphasised the importance of aligning peacekeeping missions with host countries' most urgent needs through tailored operations.

This, they said, is key to enhancing both the effectiveness and legitimacy of UN missions.

Namibia reaffirmed its commitment to international peace efforts, expressing strong support for the UN Pact for the Future and the Action for Peacekeeping Plus (A4P+) initiative.

"We support reforms that enhance rapid deployment, integrate gender perspectives, promote accountability, and make better use of data and early warning tools. We will thus continue investing in training and capacity-building initiatives and prioritise the inclusion of women in peacekeeping efforts," said Kapofi.

Namibia's contributions to global peacekeeping were also highlighted, with military and police personnel currently deployed in South Sudan and the Abyei area, on the border between South Sudan and Sudan.

"We have 6 military officers and one police officer at the P4 level, deployed in South Sudan, and 4 military officers deployed in Abyei. We are particularly proud to see a growing number of Namibian women peacekeepers serving in UN missions, as 6 of the 11 officers on deployment are female. This demonstrates our national commitment to the women, peace and security agenda."