Distinguished Chairman, Dr Mohan Kaul, Director General of the Commonwealth Business Council,
Distinguished Guests,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I welcome this unique opportunity to address this Roundtable, which is being held under the theme: "Commonwealth Partnerships for Natural Resources Development".
Firstly, the theme challenges us, as citizens of the Commonwealth Member States, to think deeper, innovatively, and more creatively, about how we can establish sustainable partnerships within our association in order to harness the natural resources which our respective countries and region are endowed with.
Secondly, the theme points to the urgent need for the Commonwealth member states to act in concert and put measures in place to utilize our natural resources heritage more sustainably.
Thirdly, it points to the imperative of ensuring that the current exploitation of natural resources is done in a manner that does not create an undue burden for future generations.
The majority of Commonwealth nations are endowed with a variety of natural resources, such as oil and natural gas, minerals, agricultural land, forests, water and fish stocks. These resources have been utilized over centuries, some in a sustainable manner and other less so.
In some cases, the utilization of such resources has benefitted local populations. In other cases, it is less so. Thus, I proceed from the premise that sustainable utilization and development of natural resources is essential if such resources are to continue benefiting our peoples.
Over the years, valuable lessons have been learnt about the sustainable use and development of our natural resources. Various studies have been carried out and in many cases a broad consensus has been reached, for example that over-fishing is detrimental to the long-term survival of fish stocks.
Similarly, we now know that in order to protect and conserve our natural environment, mining operations must be preceded by comprehensive Environmental Impact Studies and accompanied by equally comprehensive rehabilitation and land reclamation programmes of the areas affected by mining operations.
We also know that international protocols and conventions have been developed to ensure that different parties, namely the Governments as regulators and the private sector as developers of natural resources are fully aware of their obligations and responsibilities vis--vis the protection of our ecosystems and their preservation for future generations.
Mr Chairman,
The important thing is to ensure that this intersection of interests is managed properly and in a manner that results in maximum benefits for the living conditions of the human family. In this regard, regulators, at national, regional and international levels on the one hand, and the business sector, on the other, should come together to form, what has been called "Commonwealth Partnerships for Natural Resources Development".
I do not believe that the enforcement of policies and regulations to ensure sustainable use of natural resources and the quest for economic exploitation of these same resources, are necessarily mutually exclusive. If that were the case, we would not be speaking about "Partnerships for Natural Resources Development".
Broadly speaking, partnerships imply that there is a common understanding to work towards a common objective.
In this case, our common objective is to ensure that the development of natural resources does not result in the degradation of the natural environment. Rather, it should be done in such a manner that creates win-win situations for all. This means win-win outcomes for those who invest capital and technologies to turn the resources into quantifiable economic benefits and, indeed, a win-win situation in terms of the maintenance of the integrity of our physical world.
As Governments and peoples of the Commonwealth nations, we look up to our scientists, academics and private sector institutions to develop new technologies that will enable us to better harness the benefits of our natural endowments. At the same time, Governments should be flexible and pragmatic enough to ensure that the regulations that they put in place do not unduly stifle the creativity and ingenuity of the private sector to operate economically. In order to create workable Commonwealth partnerships for natural resources development, all stakeholders must engage and interact with each other openly and speak frankly about the best ways in which resources can be utilized sustainably.
This must be done with the necessary long-term view, in order to avoid the temptation of short-term gains and profits.
In Namibia, we have put in place several policies to harness natural resources for the benefit of our people. These include the establishment of Conservancies to benefit rural communities and promote tourism; the Total Allowable Catches to regulate the harvesting of our marine resources; the Green Scheme to boost agricultural production and the issuance of Exploration and Prospecting Licences to facilitate investments in our mining sector.
We are committed to creating an enabling environment for the sustainable utilization of our natural resources and I invite entrepreneurs and investors to come and invest in the utilization of Namibia's abundant natural resources. We believe that it is essential to put in place adequate legal, commercial and regulatory frameworks to facilitate the development of our natural resources.
Let us all to join hands in order to create effective "Commonwealth Partnerships for Natural Resources Development".
I thank you. |
