The UNESCO Head of Office and Representative to Namibia, Ms. Eunice Smith, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Ms. Indileni Daniel, the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), to reinforce UNESCO’s partnership with the Ministry in promoting sustainable development notably through science and culture. The discussions centered on environmental conservation, the promotion of indigenous knowledge systems, heritage management, tourism development, and Namibia’s potential to develop UNESCO Global Geoparks as a tool for community empowerment and economic diversification.
Accompanied by Ms. Helvi Elago, National Programme Officer for the Culture Sector, and Ms. Kombada Mhopjeni, National Programme Officer for the Science Sector, Ms. Smith provided an overview of UNESCO’s past collaboration with the Ministry in Natural Sciences and Culture and highlighted possible areas for partnership going forward based on Namibia’s priorities identified in Namibia’s National Development Plan 6.