New Permanent Representative of Namibia Presents Credentials

The new Permanent Representative of Namibia to the United Nations, Pendapala Andreas Naanda, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

(As provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)

Ambassador Penda Naanda is the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Namibia to the United Nations, New York, since 8 September 2025.

He is the former Executive Director, with Accounting functions of the Ministry of International Relations and Trade of the Republic of Namibia, previously the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation. He served in that capacity from 1 January 2021 until 5 September 2025.

Ambassador Naanda served as Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Republic of Namibia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations to Switzerland, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and to the Swiss Confederation from 26 November 2018 to 20 December 2020.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Amb. Naanda had been serving as the Director in the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, since October 2015. He was the Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Namibia to the United Nations in New York from September 2013 to October 2015. He also served as First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Namibia to the United Nations Office at Vienna from August 2006 to January 2010.

Amb. Naanda worked briefly as a teacher at the beginning of his career, before working in the Office of the Prime Minister from October 1992 to October 1994. He then served at the High Commission of Namibia to South Africa from January 1996 to October 1999. He has held various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as becoming a Personal Assistant to the Minister, and Deputy Director: Accreditation, Privileges and Immunities. He also served at the Office of the President (Cabinet Secretariat) from April to December 2005.

Amb. Naanda has a master's degree in public administration, from the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa (1997-1998); and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history from the Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, United States (1992). He was born on 11 May 1966 and is married to Abigail and has three children.