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George Sanzila
WINDHOEK – Professor Peter Katjavivi, President of the National Assembly, officially opened on Tuesday the conference of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), which is being held in Namibia.
The conference on "Inclusive Democracy for Sustainable Development", which took place from yesterday to today, aims to promote the integration of marginalized groups, inclusion and sustainable development through strengthened democratic processes.
This would include round tables on relevant issues such as democratic principles, women's economic empowerment and inclusion, and the inclusion of people with disabilities, among others.
At the opening of the conference, Katjavivi said Namibia attached great importance to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that they were part of the government's development policies.
"As a member of the United Nations, we have been closely involved in the development of the Millennium Development Goals. Our founding father, Dr. Sam Nujoma, was co-chair of the MDG conference. We have integrated the MDGs into our development plans and we are doing the same with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015, "said the President. According to Katjavivi, progress has been made in achieving development goals in health, education, poverty reduction and socioeconomic empowerment of marginalized people. He noted that the education and health sectors were given the lion's share of the national budget each year, while education was free.
Katjavivi also cited the new education bill recently approved by the National Assembly, as one of many important considerations to achieve the SDG goals. The bill is currently before the National Council for final approval.
Katjavivi also praised the democracy and governance of Namibia. "We have held five legislative and presidential elections since independence in 1990. All of these elections have been accepted by international and regional observers as free and fair. Next year, we will hold our sixth edition, proving that Namibia is committed to holding regular and credible elections, "said Katjavivi.
On governance, Katjavivi said Namibia was ranked fifth on the African continent for transparency by the Mo Ibrahim index and third in Africa by Transparency International. Namibia has made further progress in gender equality and representation, rising from 25% to 47% of women parliamentarians from 2010 to 2015. Women also account for 40% of the national executive and 43% executives of the public service.
The former Belgian Prime Minister and current Secretary General of IDEA, Yves Leterme, who also spoke at the event, lamented what he called the emerging isolationist policies of the major democracies of the world, adding that such trends could disrupt sustainable development.
"We face challenges related to isolationism and the rise of nationalism and populism, even in societies that were once open and supposedly ruling democracies. These countries are withdrawing from multilateral agreements, a situation that is not sustainable, "warned Leterme.
He urged policymakers to base their decision-making on dialogue and policy-making on evidence, pointing out that democracy was under threat and that much remained to be done.
"This is the moment when democracy is challenged. We must be inclusive and responsible to deliver. In the wake of the false news, we must base our dialogue, our debates and our political decisions on facts and figures, "said the Secretary General.
IDEA is an intergovernmental organization that supports democratic institutions and processes around the world to develop sustainable, effective and legitimate democracies.
• George Sanzila works as Chief Information Officer in the Division: Research, Information, Publications and Editorial Services in the National Assembly.
New Era Reporter
2018-11-28 10:48:24 29 minutes ago
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