Former Namibian prime minister and parliamentary speaker Theo-Ben Gurirab. Photo: Third World Conference of Speakers of Parliament
Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab’s career as a politician has been long, and has gained him much acclaim in both his native Namibia and worldwide. He recently retired from a lifetime in politics after serving first as Namibian prime minister from 2002 to 2005, and then as speaker of the Namibian National Assembly until 2015. He was Namibia’s first foreign affairs minister (1990 – 2002), and has been recognised as a giant in Namibia’s government.
In exile from 1962 to 1989, he represented the South West African People’s Organisation (Swapo) as the organisation’s foreign secretary, with his efforts resulting in a UN resolution recognising Namibian independence. Gurirab also clinched a cease-fire agreement with the South African government in the run-up to elections.
This was not the end of his contribution as a keen negotiator. Gurirab presided over the 54th session of the UN General Assembly and was the driving force behind the drafting of the trailblazing Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), which laid out the global priorities in addressing extreme poverty, to be achieved by 2015.
Time has shown that although achievement of the goals has been inconsistent, they have set the tone of development efforts for a generation, and made clear what areas needed intervention in pursuing the goal of sustainable development. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called the MDGs “the most successful anti-poverty movement in history.”
According to the UN, the number of people living in extreme poverty has declined by more than half since 1990. Efforts continue in the areas originally identified, and the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the UN in 2015, built on these foundations and expanded to 17 global goals with a target of 2030.
the UN secretary general praised the MDGs for helping to “lift more than one billion people out of extreme poverty, to make inroads against hunger, to enable more girls to attend school than ever before and to protect our planet.
“They generated new and innovative partnerships, galvanised public opinion and showed the immense value of setting ambitious goals. By putting people and their immediate needs at the forefront, the MDGs reshaped decision-making in developed and developing countries alike.”
On the occasion of his retirement as speaker of the Namibian Parliament, Professor Peter Katjavivi recognised Gurirab’s service, saying “it is here in this Legislature that you championed the instruments to create a better life for all.
“You took a resolve to selflessly serve this country, and its people and did so with honour and distinction.”