International relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has buttressed Namibia’s unwavering commitment to implementing the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
This includes prioritising the integration of the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda into all developmental plans and aspirations, to ensure prosperity for all.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, or NNN as she is affectionately known in political circles, made these statements during a breakfast meeting organised by the Namibia-International Women’s Peace Centre (NIWPC) in Windhoek last week.
The purpose of the event was to discuss the NIWPC Strategic Plan for 2023-2028.
The seasoned diplomat emphasised Namibia’s recognition of the importance of gender equality, protection of women’s rights and the active participation of women in conflict prevention, resolution and peace-building.
She highlighted the significance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) in achieving these goals.
Namibia, she said, played a pivotal role in the adoption of this resolution during its presidency of the UN Security Council in October 2000.
The UNSCR 1325 emphasises the crucial role women play in conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction.
The resolution was built upon the Windhoek Declaration on mainstreaming, a gender perspective in multi-dimensional peace support operations.
“The Namibia-International Women’s Peace Centre (NIWPC) was launched in Windhoek, Namibia, on 31 October 2020. The centre aims to amplify and strengthen efforts to address pervasive barriers to the full and effective implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and the WPS Agenda,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The minister highlighted that NIWPC is the first centre in southern Africa to primarily focus on the WPS agenda, providing it with a strategic opportunity to serve as both a hub and coordination centre for WPS activities in the region.
“Therefore, NIWPC aspires to become a centre of excellence, occupying a unique position among institutions operating within the WPS field worldwide. It also aims to enhance regional and international innovation to advance the implementation of the WPS Agenda by promoting inter-generational dialogues to harness the collective power of youth, intentionally involving men in the fight against gender inequality, and collaborating with other centres to generate gender and age-disaggregated data on the WPS Agenda in Africa and beyond,” she explained.
Speaking at the same event, the UN resident coordinator to Namibia, Hopolang Phororo, emphasised Namibia’s active role as an international and regional advocate for the women, peace and security agenda.
She also stressed that the promotion of women, peace and security recognises the crucial role women play in achieving sustainable international peace and security.
“We are here to support and promote women as active agents for peace. This gathering attests to our commitment to addressing the key issues women face in the aftermath of violence and supporting actions to promote peace,” she stated.
At the heart of the NIWPC’s role, Phororo said, is to be an institute of excellence for mediation, inclusive peacemaking and conflict prevention, ensuring women’s contributions, is a significant endeavour. However, by consolidating and accelerating collective efforts, the transition from normative commitments to full implementation can be achieved.
She drove home that UN institutions in Namibia remain committed to addressing multi-dimensional challenges by placing women, peace, and security at the forefront of all efforts to build a better future, guided by the Sustainable Development Goals.
– ljason@nepc.com.na