South Africa to host the inaugural BRICS Seminar on population matters
The Department of Social Development will host the inaugural Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) seminar of officials and experts on population matters, representing the five BRICS member countries from 28 February to 3 March 2014.
The objective of the seminar is to exchange knowledge and experiences on each country’s population trends, dynamics and policy responses thereto, and on the basis of this exchange to identify areas of cooperation on population related issues.
The outcome of the seminar would be a broad framework document for BRICS cooperation on population related issues. The framework would in turn be presented to a meeting of BRICS Ministers responsible for population matters at a later stage.
The Action Plan of the New Delhi Declaration of the 2012 BRICS Summit identifies “cooperation on population related issues” as a new area of cooperation to explore, and the eThekwini Action Plan of the 2013 BRICS Summit mandated meetings on population matters.
The proposed objective of this cooperation would be for the BRICS member countries to collaborate in the build-up to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) +20, and in the period thereafter, to promote collaboration in the area of population and development, sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, gender equity and equality, the empowerment of women, youth development and adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
The BRICS member countries share several values and policies on these matters, and can mutually benefit from collaboration thereon. These “social” themes are also fundamental to the achievement of broader economic development and growth. Broader alliances with other “like-minded” countries and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) could be built around the BRICS as core.
The draft seminar programme is attached.
Members of the media are invited to cover the seminar, which will take place as follows:
Date: 28 February to 3 March 2014
Venue: Hotel Numbi & Garden Suites, R40 Main Road, Hazyview, Mpumalanga
Time: 09h00 daily
Media RSVPs may be directed to Mmemme Mogotsi on 0728564288 or mmemme@gcis.gov.za or Jaconia Kobue on 073 026 1111 or jaconiak@dsd.gov.za
Media enquiries may be directed to:
Ms Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
