Z Skweyiya: Regional Social Policy

23 November 2006

Honourable colleagues, the Ministers responsible for social development in
the SADC region
Dr Sergei Zelenev and all our partners in the UN Department of Economic and
Social Affairs
Members of the diplomatic corps
Senior government officials
Representatives of the UNESCO and other agencies in the UN family
Distinguished delegates

I thank you most sincerely for affording me the privilege of welcoming you
here today on behalf of the government and people of South Africa.

We truly appreciate your presence, as Ministers and officials responsible
for poverty alleviation, social inclusion and programmes aimed at assisting
vulnerable groups in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
This occasion provides a valuable platform for us to share ideas on the similar
and complex challenges faced by our region and the continent.

I am also pleased to welcome our partners in this dialogue, the United
Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. We are pleased with the
support we receive from the United Nations (UN) family. The UN Commission for
Social Development and the 2005 UN Social Summit, not only welcomed the New
Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), but also urged the United Nations
to support African countries to achieve the objectives and priorities of NEPAD.
As a result, we continue to work very closely also with agencies such as United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which
remains a significant partner in all our programmes locally and
internationally.

It is our fervent hope that this dialogue will serve to highlight and
enhance the social dimensions of NEPAD, in our attempts to find common ground
on a regional social policy. As we all know, NEPAD's primary objectives are to
eradicate poverty; place African countries on a path of sustainable growth and
development; to halt the marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation process
and accelerate the empowerment of women.

It is our view that we need to work more vociferously to raise the profile
of, and the delivery, on the social dimensions of NEPAD. Despite its
objectives, NEPAD Action Plans have mostly focused on the equally critical
economic and governance issues.

Social policies which promote social inclusion, within the NEPAD framework,
will assist us to respond to the challenges we face in the continent, which
know no boundaries. We are one people and one community. It is critical that we
have such a dialogue to discuss how we can deal with issues of migration,
social protection, assisting orphans and vulnerable children, conflict
prevention and management, the impact of poverty and unemployment as well as
HIV and AIDS.

It is a reality that the challenges of Africa and the world can only be met
through co-operation across national boundaries and by the conscious pursuit of
common interests.

Ladies and gentlemen, the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) in September 2000 produced unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of
the worlds poorest. The MDGs have proved to be an effective vehicle for
rallying public support and poverty reduction. Our deliberations this week will
no doubt take us a step forward towards the optimal realisation of these
goals.

The Millennium Summit, which adopted these goals, reiterated key development
objectives agreed upon by various preceding international conferences and
events, including the World Summit for Social Development. Significantly, the
Millennium Summit and the World Summit for Social Development, places people at
the centre of their own development, in what is generally referred to as
"people centred development".

Also significant is that Goal Eight recognises the need for global
collaboration to eradicate poverty by all, including those in the public,
private and donor sectors. I am pleased that the session of Senior Officials
over the last two days dealt with some of these issues, which focus on
improving people's lives.

Colleagues, we support the decision by SADC that the Employment and Labour
Sector should be revived as it is an effective mechanism for us to feed into
the African Union (AU) Labour and Social Affairs Commission and the United
Nations Commission on Social Development. These organisations offer a practical
realisation of the need for us to seek collaboration as a region.

Colleagues and all our partners in development, let me reiterate how pleased
I am that you made the time for us to get together for this critical dialogue,
which builds on interactions which began in 1999. You will recall that during
1999 and 2000, SADC Ministers responsible for social development met to discuss
the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit for Social
Development.

The meeting culminated with the SADC Statement of Intent on Copenhagen +5,
held in Geneva during 2000. The Copenhagen Summit came up with a programme for
social development which culminated in the Millennium Development Goals. During
the special session on the review of the Copenhagen Declaration,
recommendations were made to the SADC Council of Ministers to consider
establishing a structure that would look at implementing the outcomes of the
summit of social development issues in general.

The SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) launched in
2004, covered Social and Human development as one of the core areas of
co-operation. In 2004, in preparation for the Ten Year Review of the
Implementation of the Copenhagen Commitments, the Ministers responsible for
social development committed to ongoing Continental dialogues focused on
integrated poverty eradication strategies, social integration and full
employment.

You will also note that we hosted in partnership with UNESCO in November
2004, the SADC meeting of Ministers responsible for Social Development. The
meeting recommended to SADC's Integrated Committee of Ministers (IMC) to
approve the establishment of the forum for SADC Ministers responsible for
social development. This would be in line with the amended SADC Treaty Article
12, which mandates the IMC to create such permanent or ad hoc committees to
cater for cross cutting sectors.

Already, regular direct contact between Ministers, officials and civic
organisations has led to deeper mutual understanding. It has also promoted the
adoption of common goals and harmonised approaches, the development of
strategies and the transformation of deliberations into practical results. This
lays a good foundation for future work, and makes us optimistic about the way
forward.

My dear colleagues, allow me to use this opportunity to reiterate our
heartfelt gratitude on the support we received from you during the struggle to
end the nightmare of apartheid, and in rebuilding a free and democratic South
Africa. We are now working together to fight an enemy of a different kind, the
scourge of poverty, unemployment, crime and other social ills, together.

I am happy today to be amongst you all who carry the hopes of the most
vulnerable members of our populations. We are filled with hope, that we can and
will win this war against poverty and vulnerability.

I wish you well during your stay in our country, and fruitful
deliberations.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Social Development
23 November 2006