17 October 2007
Minister of Social Development signs agreement with India and Brazil
The Minister of Social Development Dr Zola Skweyiya today, 17 October 2007,
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with his Indian and Brazilian
counterparts during the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Heads of States
Summit, Pretoria.
The agreement seeks to strengthen South-South co-operation amongst the
parties and to promote trilateral co-operation in the field of social
development. The purpose is to collaborate towards achieving key developmental
goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It was signed by
Minister Skweyiya, Minister Celsa Amorim of Brazil and Minister Anand Sharma of
India.
The collaboration will be undertaken through focussed attention on:
* poverty eradication
* social security
* social policy
* monitoring and evaluation
* institutional capacity building
* micro-finance
* co-operation in multilateral fora.
To achieve these, the parties will:
* facilitate for exchanges, study tours, dialogues, joint research, and
information sharing amongst (and in between) the academia, civil society and
public services of the parties
* ensure human resource development programmes, with longer term placements in
between officials and mentorship
* promote civil society co-operation within the three countries
To advance these objectives, the parties will develop a detailed and costed
implementation plan.
Enquiries:
Lakela Kaunda
Cell: 082 782 2575
Issued by: Department of Social Development
17 October 2007
