Charmaine Boois
New York, July 19 – In a momentous ceremony held on 17 July 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters, Hon. Carl H.G Schlettwein, MP, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, announced Namibia’s accession to the United Nations Water Convention. The event took place during the Water Action Agenda Special Event in Conference Room 5. Namibia’s accession marks a significant milestone as the first Southern African country, the eighth African country, and the fiftieth country globally to become a member of the UN Water Convention.
Among the esteemed guests and delegates present were Hon. Ales Bizjak, Vice Chair of the Water Convention and the event’s moderator, His Excellency Neville Gertze, Namibia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Hon. Musa Drammeh, Minister for Fisheries, Water, and National Assembly Matters of The Gambia, and Ms. Karima Lince, Director at the Ministry of Environment, Panama.
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to address the audience, Hon. Carl H.G Schlettwein highlighted Namibia’s recognition of the importance of transboundary water cooperation. As a riparian state heavily reliant on shared rivers and transboundary groundwater sources, Namibia understands the crucial role such cooperation plays in unlocking developmental opportunities, improving livelihoods, and ensuring sustainable utilization of water resources.
While Namibia has already concluded basin agreements for all of its transboundary rivers, the accession to the Water Convention is expected to reinforce existing cooperation efforts and enhance synergies. The global rules provided by the Convention will serve as a foundation for peaceful and science-based water solutions.
Namibia, eager to learn from other parties, is particularly interested in joint monitoring and assessment of transboundary waters, enhancing institutional mechanisms for cooperation and hydro diplomacy, managing transboundary aquifers, conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and utilizing the Handbook on Water Allocation in transboundary river basins. The country has already initiated a twinning partnership with Finland under the Water Convention Twinning Initiative, facilitating the exchange of experiences and best practices.
Highlighting the benefits of becoming part of a community of parties, Hon. Carl H.G Schlettwein emphasized the potential for diverse developmental outcomes through partnerships. As Namibia implements strategic initiatives and mobilizes resources for priority actions, the country seeks technical and financial support from fellow parties to protect and utilize transboundary water resources equitably and sustainably.
Namibia’s commitment to expanding global cooperation and finding solutions to transboundary water challenges is further demonstrated by its advocacy for accession to the Water Convention within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
In conclusion, Hon. Carl H.G Schlettwein expressed gratitude and appreciation for the warm reception and emphasized Namibia’s determination to actively participate and contribute to the implementation of the Water Convention. ~Namibia Daily News
