17 September 2006
Havana â South African President Thabo Mbeki, supported by Foreign Minister
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, is expected to arrive today Sunday, 17 September
2006 in New York from Havana, Cuba ahead of the 61st session of the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) scheduled from Tuesday â Wednesday 19-20
September 2006.
President Mbeki was in Havana, Cuba where he led a senior South African
government delegation consisting of among others Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana
Dlamini Zuma, Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad and Director-General Dr Ayanda
Ntsaluba to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit.
President Thabo Mbeki's participation in the 61st session of the UNGA comes
within the context of South Africa's conviction that the multilateral system of
global governance remains the only solution to current challenges facing
humanity including the need to push back the frontiers of poverty and
under-development.
Accordingly, the government views the forthcoming UNGA as an excellent
opportunity to:
* continue consultations with other UN member states on the process of the
reform of the UN
* promoting multilateralism and respect for international law as the most
appropriate means of achieving global political and economic stability, and
security
* promoting the African Agenda and New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD) as well as the developmental agenda of the South in the context of the
work of the UN.
During UNGA 61, South Africa expects to be elected to a non-permanent seat
in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2007-2008. South Africa's
candidature for the non-permanent seat on the UNSC has been endorsed by the
African Union Summit held in Banjul in The Gambia in July this year.
The 61st session of the UNGA will afford the international community an
opportunity to review progress made with the implementation of the reforms to
the United Nations as agreed during the 2005 session and bid the
Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan farewell as he completes his tenure as
Secretary-General of the world body at the end of 2006.
The South African delegation to the 61st UNGA will be seized, amongst
others, with the following issues:
* the promotion of the reform of the United Nations
* the follow up of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and
the outcomes of the major UN conferences and summits
* the support of the UN for the promotion of the African agenda and NEPAD
* advancing South-South co-operation within the context of the Non-Aligned
Movement and the G-77 + China
* support of the international community for the Middle East peace
process
* support of the international community for the global campaign against
terrorism.
President Mbeki is expected to address the General Assembly on Tuesday, 19
September 2006 and also attend a special Summit convened by Secretary-General
Kofi Annan on Côte d'Ivoire on Wednesday, 20 September 2006.
In addition, a number of bilateral requests for consultations with President
Mbeki have been received including the European Union Foreign Policy Advisor,
Dr Javier Solana.
President Mbeki is expected to return to South Africa on Thursday, 21
September 2006.
For further information, please contact:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
17 September 2006
