Palestine
28 May 2006
Putrajaya - Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad, who is leading a senior
South African government delegation to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
Ministerial Co-Ordinating Bureau (CoB) in Putrajaya, Malaysia will today Sunday
28 May 2006 attend the NAM Committee on Palestine.
The mandate of the NAM Committee meeting, inter alia, is to work with the
various forces influential in the Middle East conflict for the achievement of a
full, durable and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
Deputy Minister Pahad also said it is the responsibility of the committee to
add their collective voice to finding a political solution to the ongoing
instability in the region.
Deputy Minister Pahad will also today Sunday 28 May 2006 hold bilateral
discussions with the Foreign Minister of Malaysia Syed Hamid Albar and Cuban
Deputy Foreign Minister Moreno and attend a meeting of the NAM Troika and
Former Chairs. Discussions will focus on the challenges facing the NAM in a
rapidly changing global environment in preparation for the Ministerial meeting
on Monday, 29 May 2006.
In this regard, on Monday, 29 May 2006, Deputy Minister Pahad will lead his
delegation to the Opening Plenary of the NAM Ministerial meeting entitled,
"Towards a more dynamic and cohesive NAM: Challenges of the 21st Century."
The Ministerial Meeting of the CoB will primarily prepare for the
forthcoming NAM Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held in Havana,
Cuba in September 2006.
Deputy Minister Pahad said, "In this regard, the NAM is currently faced with
three principle challenges:
* Poverty and underdevelopment, this impacts negatively on thousands of
people worldwide and while the benefits of globalisation are being
acknowledged, it is also increasingly apparent that these benefits are spread
evenly. Indeed, many of the sub-Saharan African countries will not meet the
Millennium Development Goals unless the international community adds it is
political will to assisting Africa address its developmental challenges.
* Peace and Stability, this refers to conflicts in Africa and beyond. The
deteriorating situation in the Middle East is now widely cited as one of the
contributing factors to international insecurity. In addition, the NAM is fully
committed to the total eradication of weapons of mass destruction. As a body we
support the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty and
must also address the growing threat of terrorism.
* Restructuring of the global exercise of economic and political power, as
the United Nations Secretary-General has said, "We will not enjoy development
without security, we will not enjoy security without development and we will
not enjoy either without respect for human rights." In this regard, the NAM has
a very important role to play in discussions regarding the restructuring of the
United Nations and all its bodies including the Bretton Woods Institutions, and
the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
* Deputy Minister Pahad will also lead his delegation to a Special Group of
77 (G-77) Ministerial meeting on Monday, 29 May 2006.
Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
28 May 2006
Source: SAPA
