Deputy prime minister Natangwe Ithete has called on African states to reduce reliance on superpowers and prioritise disaster risk reduction and self-reliance.
He was speaking on the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday.
Namibia is the chair of the Africa Regional Platform for the DRR Bureau.
“Fellow Africans, let us do away with the chronic dependence on superpowers. While we remain grateful for assistance from elsewhere, we are also cognisant that the world is ever changing,” he said.
Ithete said the ongoing cut of United States funding across sectors should be a warning for all African states to work towards self-reliance through domesticated investment and strengthened efforts in disaster risk reduction and management.
“Let’s make hay while the sun shines,” he said.
Ithete said Namibia is proud to serve in this role and appreciates the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) for organising the gathering.
He said Namibia remains fully committed to supporting the AUC and UNDRR.
“I encourage all delegates to critically review the draft and work together to finalise a strong, unified position for submission by the African Union Commission,” he said.
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