Allow me, on behalf of my delegation, to congratulate you on your election as President of the 61st Session of the General Assembly. I would like to … - Teopolina Mushelenga

The foundation of Namibian immigration policy is our desire to promote development with equity and to manage migration in order to ensure that it contributes to our over-all development objectives and does not undermine the progress we have made so far. We are, therefore, seeking to attract sustainable and suitable investment into the country, importation of specific skills and their transfer to Namibians. We also believe that those who come can learn new skills from us that they will eventually take with them.

Therefore, responses to migration must be comprehensive, contextually appropriate and cognizant of both the contribution and effects of migration to development, security and political stability. It is equally important to take into consideration that the majority of migrants worldwide are women and in many places they outnumber male migrants. Gender inequality contributes to the forced migration of women and girls and also to their trafficking.

Namibia along with other African countries has been reviewing legal and normative frameworks to promote safe and managed migration. An important guiding instrument is the SADC Protocol on Facilitation of Movements of Persons and Goods. This instrument however, needs to be buttressed by good practices.