Namibia has officially become a member of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), marking a significant step in its engagement with international sustainability initiatives.
During a special briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Namibia, Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed the development. “Namibia is joining the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Global Biofuels Alliance. Discussions also covered a range of multilateral issues,” he said.
The Global Biofuels Alliance, launched on September 9, 2023, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi, was spearheaded by Prime Minister Modi in collaboration with leaders from the United States, Brazil, Italy, Argentina, Singapore, Bangladesh, Mauritius, and the United Arab Emirates. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, it was introduced as a Chair’s initiative at the summit.
Since its inception, the Alliance has gained considerable global traction, with participation in prominent international events such as COP28 in Dubai, the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, India Energy Week 2024, and the World Biogas Summit 2024 in the UK. Additionally, the GBA has been recognized as an international organization and invited to forums like the Energy Transitions Working Group under Brazil’s G20 presidency and the International Forum on Sustainable Biofuels under Italy’s G7 presidency.
Secretary Ravi noted that India and Namibia are also working to deepen their collaboration in capacity building, with several notable agreements and announcements made during the Prime Minister’s visit.
“There’s strong interest from both sides to expand cooperation in capacity building. Today’s discussions resulted in a number of announcements,” he said. Among the key developments were memorandums of understanding to establish an entrepreneurship center in Namibia and to enhance cooperation in the health sector.
Further announcements included Namibia’s participation in India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) system, its membership in the CDRI, and its joining of the GBA.
“These are important milestones in our bilateral partnership, and we believe Prime Minister Modi’s visit will give fresh momentum to our relations,” Ravi added.
Both leaders also underscored the need to bolster multilateralism to address the shared challenges of the Global South. “There was a mutual understanding on the importance of strengthening multilateral frameworks to support South-South cooperation,” the MEA stated. “India and Namibia agreed to work closely to identify and implement solutions to the pressing issues facing developing nations.”
Prime Minister Modi concluded his five-nation diplomatic tour, which included visits to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia—and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday. The tour, which began on July 2 and ended on July 9, marked an intensive week of high-level international engagement.
