WINDHOEK: Corporate partnerships have the power to contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), hence they deserve special consideration.

This is the view of Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Namibia, Musinga Bandora, presented during a farewell function of the Strengthening the Protected Area Network (SPAN) Project at a local hotel yesterday evening.

The aim of the SPAN Project is to better manage Namibia’s protected areas for the conservation of plants and animals, and to share benefits and responsibilities.

The six-year project began in 2006, and comes to an end officially at the end of this year.

In a statement delivered on his behalf by the Head of the Energy and Environment Unit within the UNDP, Martha Mwandingi, Bandora noted that partnerships are the way to go particularly when the developing world, Namibia included, is confronted with multiple challenges that need to be addressed by delivering results in challenging environments.

According to Bandora, the power of partnerships goes beyond project activities to authentic development for Namibia, and is more likely to leave lasting legacies then those that are short-term and input-focussed.