Windhoek
Cabinet has given the green light to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, to submit a bid for the country to host the African Regional Office of the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
This and a raft of other decisions are part of the outcome of the cabinet decisions as announced yesterday by the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Tjekero Tweya.
The GCF was established with the mission to advance the goal of keeping the planet temperature at below 2 degrees Celsius.
The Fund is a unique global initiative to respond to climate change by investing in low-emission and climate-resilient development.
It was established by 194 countries to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries, and to help adapt vulnerable societies to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
“This is good for Namibia because it has spin-offs when you look at the hosting of conferences, meetings and other related events,” he explained.
Tweya also announced that Cabinet has approved that his ministry review the ICT Policy to cater for all sectors enabled by ICT and to give high priority to increase ICT coverage and affordable ICT services in rural and remote areas, as well as to develop modalities for achieving the envisaged wide ICT coverage.
“Cabinet approved the ICT ministry to establish a National Consultative Internet Governance Forum which will consist of multi-stakeholders from government, regulators, internet exchange points and the private sector,” Tweya informed the media.
He further told reporters that Cabinet has approved in principle that the concept of ‘Health in All Policies’ be adopted and enshrined to ensure that health becomes an integral component of all government policies, strategies and programmes, with the health ministry providing leadership and guidance.
According to Tweya, Cabinet also noted the content of the joint meeting of SADC ministers responsible for health and the so-called ‘Specific Agreements’ entered into, of which the local health ministry is said to have commenced with the implementation phase.
Also, Cabinet noted and authorised the youth ministry, the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology, as well as the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) to table their latest annual reports before the National Assembly.