WINDHOEK: The failure to collectively invest in the SDGs is being felt by developing nations and threatens the growth of their economies, Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah was speaking at the third South Summit of the Group of 77 plus China in Kampala, Uganda on Sunday. The deputy prime minister and Minister of International Relations is leading the Namibian delegation of senior government officials.
Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that the theme ‘Leaving no one behind’, is appropriate as it emphasises the imperative of ending extreme poverty and reducing inequalities and vulnerabilities.
She said the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Report 2023: Special Edition titled, ‘Towards a Rescue Plan for People and Planet’ indicates that more than half of the world’s population has been left behind. It also said more than half of the SDG targets have not recorded enough or any progress at all, while 30 per cent have either been halted or reversed.
‘The failure to collec
tively invest in the SDGs is being felt by developing nations and threatens the growth of their economies, in the process deepening disparities and driving our people deeper into poverty, a phenomenon that greatly affects women, youth and children disproportionately,’ Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She noted that in order to ensure that nobody is left out Namibia, in solidarity with the oppressed peoples, particularly those suffering the consequences of armed conflict and violence around the world, emphasizes the need to ensure human rights for all.
Nandi-Ndaitwah further said Namibia’s classification as an ‘upper middle-income country presents challenges which have constrained the country’s ability to effectively mobilise resources to finance its development goals and to address historical injustice.
‘Namibia is not asking for free money, we only demand justice that will enable us to have access to affordable finance. Therefore, the reform of the international financial architecture is crucial to bridge inequalitie
s between developed and developing countries,’ the deputy prime minister said.
The two-day summit ends Monday, and the Fourth South Summit is expected to be held in 2029, in the Latin America and Caribbean Region.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency