The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes to be more effective and efficient in its role as a facilitation and service providing institution by meeting the needs and expectations of its stakeholders, and most particularly that of the Namibian nation. New Era posed some questions to Acting Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Wilbard Helao.
By Catherine Sasman
What is Namibia’s foreign policy and how is it being implemented?
Foreign policy is that course or principle of action by which nations organise their dealings with one another. In essence, it represents the projection abroad of national viewpoint and national values, as well as the strengthening of economic ties with other countries and the development of cultural links.
Since independence, Namibia has forged economic, political, cultural and other links with many countries in the world based on our needs and expectations.
Namibia has been very vocal at international fora such as SADC, the African Union, the United Nations, and other regional and international bodies during which occasions we have successfully projected the country’s viewpoint on a number of issues.
You would have noticed that during the 62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Honourable Marco Hausiku, Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighted Namibia’s viewpoint on a range of issues which concern the international community. This range of issues that he highlighted include climate change, the reform of the United Nations, peace and security, the Palestinian issue and the call to end sanctions against Cuba, among others.
You may have noted that there has been a number of in-bound and out-bound State, official and working visits to and from Namibia. Those visits are a manifestation of the cordial relations that Namibia has with these countries.
Our Head of State and other senior Government officials undertake these visits or receive their counterparts to discuss issues that would be of benefit to Namibia.
Having highlighted that, I also wish to clarify to you that the prime objective of Namibia’s foreign policy is the promotion of national security and prosperity. National security thus forms the bedrock of Namibia’s foreign policy.
Together with the majority of the world’s nations, our Government strives to ensure good faith in multilateral negotiations and collective action with the view to enhancing global peace and stability.
Namibia’s policy is guided by Vision 2030, which stipulates the required actions to be taken and achieve a stage at which the country will become a developed country by the year 2030. This vision will only be realised with the full and active involvement of all sectors of the Namibian society, including its foreign service.
What is the ministry’s strategic direction as discussed in June, August and now in October?
The intention with the development of the strategic plan is to be more efficient and effective in the execution of our responsibilities. This means that we would need to prioritise our needs and prudently manage our financial resources so that we are able to reach our goals and targets as set out in the strategic plan.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hidipo Hamutenya, introduced the White Paper – adopted by the ministry – which embraces economic diplomacy. What has happened to this White Paper, and how does the ministry implement economic diplomacy at its various missions, and/or bilateral and multilateral relations?
The White Paper on Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Management is a living document. We live by it in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you have studied it carefully, you would have noticed that it highlights key issues that we need to achieve in our country. These are the promotion of information technology, sustainable economic growth and development, employment creation, HIV/AIDS, poverty reduction, land reform and resettlement, human resource development, gender equality and equity, moral and ethical values, economic empowerment and peace and stability.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was created as the principal Government agency of Namibia that promotes and ensures all-round cooperation in the international arena. We do that by attending international fora and engaging other countries at bilateral level to strengthen mutually beneficial exchanges for the benefit of all our countries. It is at these occasions that we seek to live out the dictates of the White Paper on Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Management.
Earlier on, I mentioned that the prime objective of Namibia’s foreign policy is the promotion of national security and prosperity.
With regard to the promotion of prosperity, the Government has adopted the strategy of economic diplomacy. It has been repeatedly said by our principals that the practice of effective economic diplomacy requires Namibian diplomats to actively engage business executives in their countries of assignment, with a view to convincing them to invest in and trade in Namibia.
Engaging business executives is thus a major part of our diplomats’ responsibilities wherever they are. Ordinarily, our diplomats would make an assessment of the business opportunities in their countries of assignment and identify synergies or compatibilities with Namibian business entities for purposes of joint ventures in investment.
How has this bolstered Namibia’s economic trade interests?
The strategy of economic diplomacy has enabled us to set tangible targets and to make strategic analyses of our economic and trade interests and how to achieve those targets through diplomatic engagement.
What would you say is Namibia’s regional – with the SADC context – and international standing?
Namibia attaches great importance to its relations with SADC member states and other African countries. Hence, harmonisation of multilateral and bilateral cooperation is a priority. The SADC countries share common political, security and economic goals. As an active member, Namibia is committed to cooperation through sustained regional development and economic integration.
In structuring ties with SADC member states, Namibia is guided by the reciprocal openness of the partner countries with regards to cooperation in all relevant areas such as strengthening cross-border mechanisms to solve problems of drug-trafficking, small arms smuggling, the illicit sale of diamonds and stock-theft. Therefore, agreements with SADC partners are based on the principle of mutual interest.
The creation of joint mechanisms for the promotion of trade and investment, regional development and interaction between specific regions of Namibia and those of the bordering SADC member states receive our focused attention. Namibia actively supports the collective efforts by SADC member states to develop a framework of investment promotion, which should form the basis of a memorandum of understanding on investment promotion for SADC to secure a greater share of the global pool of foreign direct investment.
Namibia is pressing for the acceleration of the implementation of the SADC Trade Agreement. We stand for the fast-tracked operationalisation of the SADC Free Trade Area, which was launched on September 1, 2000. This will go a long way towards making the SADC region a greater attraction for potential investors and distributors of goods and services. The protocol encourages investment in neighbouring countries by the Namibian business community.
Namibia’s international standing and image has been acclaimed worldwide.
This is affirmed by the many in- and out-bound State, official and working visits undertaken by the Head of State and senior Government officials.
Namibian leaders have also received numerous awards from the international community for the commitment they have shown in uplifting the socio-economic conditions of their people and for their contribution to peace and security in the world.
How many diplomatic missions does Namibia have and has Namibia benefited from these?
Namibia has diplomatic missions in Angola, Austria, Belgium (and the European Union), Botswana, Brazil, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia (and the African Union), France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United Nations (New York), the United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Recently two missions were opened in Egypt and Tanzania.
The benefits are manifold. They come in the form of investments into Namibia, human resource development, as well as peace and stability in the region, the continent and the world.
Is Namibia considering establishing new diplomatic missions eg Japan?
The Government’s wish is to have diplomatic missions where reasonably possible, but we are mindful of the financial and human resource constraints that impede the opening of such missions. The country’s strategic interests inform opening up of diplomatic missions as they relate to particular regions or countries.
What are the immediate challenges for Namibia’s diplomatic missions?
The challenges are many just as we hope the rewards would be. The immediate challenges for Namibia’s diplomatic missions are to ensure the effective engagement with the business communities in the countries of their assignments.
There is a critique that SWAPO Party president Sam Nujoma determines Namibia’s foreign policy to a large extent. Please comment.
On 13 May 1990, barely two months after attaining independence, President Sam Nujoma officially opened a training workshop for Namibian diplomats.
At that workshop Dr Nujoma set out Namibia’s foreign policy objectives when he stated that, “It is commonly said that every country, irrespective of the particular world to which it belongs, has two primary foreign policy objectives: to preserve its national security interest in and around the national territory, and to promote economic and social progress through interaction with other nations. I could hardly quarrel with this viewpoint. Putting in another way, the main idea when pursuing a country’s foreign policy amounts to – and this is precisely where diplomacy comes in – neither more nor less than trying to influence the decision-making process in those other nations to the advantage of one’s own country.
“Let me say to you that it will be through you and your efforts that Namibia will gain advantages internationally in the fields of trade and investment on the basis of friendship and cooperation with many, if not all, countries in the world … As diplomacy is to foreign policy what tactics are to strategy, you will, as our diplomats, be expected to digest, understand, interpret, defend and implement these broad principles of the Namibian foreign policy.
“In upholding and implementing these principles, you should be aware that your words and actions abroad must be inspired and guided by the ideals we cherish as a nation and the policies which our Government pursues here at home.”
As Head of State of the ruling SWAPO Party, it is common cause that Dr Nujoma would set the foreign policy agenda and he has been our chief diplomat during the 15 years that he was president of our republic. But it is fallacious to say that Dr Nujoma alone determines the foreign policy.
As former Head of State and current SWAPO Party president, it is comprehensible that President Nujoma would play a key role in determining national policies, along with the head of the party leadership.
The role that he plays currently is head of the ruling party whose manifesto is being implemented by the Government. That includes issues related to foreign policy.