Activities of Secretary-General in Namibia, 24-25 June

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, flew on Monday, 23 June, from New York to Windhoek, for an official visit to Namibia at the invitation of the Government.

On Tuesday, 24 June, the Secretary-General met with President Hifikepunye Pohamba, of Namibia.  They discussed the progress made by Namibia in the areas of development, human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability.

Following that meeting, they proceeded to the official handover of the UN House in Windhoek.  At that ceremony, the Secretary-General stressed the valuable history of the United Nations with the Namibian people.  He said he was there to show his personal commitment to strengthening UN engagement with the country.  (See Press Release SG/SM/15970.)

He then held a town hall meeting with the United Nations staff working in Namibia; met with Prime Minister Hage Geingob and was the guest of honour at an official dinner hosted by President Pohamba.

On Wednesday, 25 June, the Secretary-General had a working breakfast with Theo-Ben Gurirab, Speaker of the National Assembly and President of the fifty-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Before heading to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, to attend the twenty-third African Union Summit, he laid a wreath at Heroes Acre, the official war memorial of Namibia, and visited the Independence Memorial Museum in Windhoek.