Africa-Press – Namibia. Windhoek, 11 December 2025
Thank you all for attending this year-end gathering, which allows us to reflect on the months since we last met in August 2025. I congratulate the new dean of the diplomatic corps, Lauria Ngayino Nguele-Makoulet, ambassador of the Republic of Congo.
Ordinarily, we meet in late November to better accommodate travel schedules, but diplomacy had other plans. I am pleased that many of you could join us this morning, and I welcome you warmly.
As you may have observed, this past quarter has been marked by an increase in multilateral meetings and engagements. Nonetheless, we have continued to strengthen our bilateral relations with your countries through direct engagements and on the margins of major multilateral events, including the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, the G20 Summit and the African Union-European Union Summit.
Bilateral relations
As diplomats, we understand the overarching importance of our bilateral relations, cooperation and trade. I thank you all for the efforts made in enhancing these relations.
Since our meeting in August, we have held several bilateral engagements with your countries.
We held the first session of the Namibia-Cuba Intergovernmental Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, hosted by the government of Cuba from 29 September to 1 October 2025. I led the Namibian delegation, and the outcomes again strengthened our relationship with the Cuban government and people.
On 10 October 2025, president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah hosted advocate Duma Gideon Boko, president of the Republic of Botswana, for a successful second session of the Namibia-Botswana Bi-National Commission. Its agreed outcomes remain the bedrock of our cooperation and continue to deliver tangible benefits for our people.
We held political and diplomatic consultations with South Africa to review the outcomes of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission, with a commitment to strengthening those relations.
The president paid a working visit to the state of Pennsylvania in the United States, where we explored areas of cooperation and potential twinning arrangements with local government and tertiary institutions.
As mentioned earlier, the president also met many of your heads of state on the margins of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly – the highest number of bilateral engagements by a Namibian head of state at the UN General Assembly. These engagements were made possible with your support, for which we express our appreciation.
I am aware that we have a backlog of Bi-National Commissions and Joint Commissions of Cooperation. We are making every effort to eliminate this backlog in the coming calendar year.
Multilateral relations
At the core of our policy on international relations and cooperation lies a firm commitment to multilateralism. We believe that global challenges – from peace and security to economic development and environmental sustainability – can only be effectively addressed through collective action, shared responsibility and strong international cooperation. This principle has guided Namibia’s engagements at regional, continental and global levels as we work to contribute to a more just and stable world.
In September, president Nandi-Ndaitwah led a delegation to the high-level week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, contributing to global discussions on peace and development.
A key highlight this year was Namibia’s leadership in advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. We were honoured to host the silver anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in October, in Windhoek and in New York. The event culminated in the adoption of the Windhoek+25 Declaration, reaffirming global commitments and amplifying the voices of women peacebuilders. On the margins of the event, the office of the African Union (AU) envoy on Women, Peace and Security hosted a briefing session on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Namibia took part in the 30th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Belém, Brazil, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to climate justice and sustainable environmental stewardship.
We also continued our active role within the Non-Aligned Movement at its ministerial meeting in Uganda, promoting the interests of developing nations and advocating a more equitable global order.
Namibia was privileged to be invited to the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa, where, even as an observer, we made impactful interventions. We congratulate South Africa for successfully hosting the first G20 Summit on African soil.
We congratulate Angola for successfully hosting the seventh AU–EU Summit, which strengthened Africa’s partnership with the European Union (EU) and reinforced Namibia’s own engagement with the EU.
Although our candidate for president of Interpol was not elected, we thank all who supported her candidacy and congratulate France on its successful election. Our engagement in global law enforcement cooperation remains steadfast.
In line with the AU theme of the year – Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations’ – Namibia participated in the International Conference on Crimes of Colonialism in Africa, successfully hosted by Algeria. This reaffirmed that the effects of colonial injustices continue to be felt across the continent.
As my final engagement this year, I will travel to Cairo next week for the Russia-Africa ministerial meeting.
Way forward
The past year has been one of strong engagement, measurable achievements and deepened partnerships for Namibia. We have not simply reacted to global developments; we have shaped them, advocating for our national interests, promoting regional stability and contributing to peace, security and prosperity at continental and global levels. We remain committed to working with all of you to build a peaceful, just and prosperous future.
Our positions on Western Sahara, Palestine, Cuba, Sudan, Venezuela and the reform of the UN Security Council remain unchanged. We hope that 2026 will bring progress on these critical matters.
As we look ahead, president Nandi-Ndaitwah will host the New Year’s Greetings at the end of January 2026, with an exact date to be announced. This will be preceded by the quarterly presentation of credentials ceremony.
We will hold political and diplomatic consultations with several of your countries in early 2026 and begin planning high-level engagements for the first quarter. Information will be shared in due course.
I also intend to hold our first regional diplomatic outreach in June or July 2026. The region to begin with will be communicated. We will also host the Diplomatic Fair next year in Windhoek for the benefit of the public.
Finally, I thank all of you for the cooperation shown throughout the year. I wish you a safe and restful holiday season. Spend time with your families, and return refreshed for the year ahead.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
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