Minister Nzimande to participate in the prestigious 2025 World Governments Summit to be held from 11-13 February in The United Arab Emirates
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande will participate in the prestigious World Governments Summit, hosted by the Government of the United Arab Emirates in Dubai from 11 to 13 February 2025.
The 2025 World Governments Summit will be held under theme “Shaping Future Governments”, which is strategically aligned with the priority of South Africa’s Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation to contribute to building a capable, developmental and ethical state, through investment in digital transformation and innovation.
At this Summit, Minister Nzimande will be a panelist in two high-profile sessions, focused respectively on the governance of Artificial Intelligence, ensuring human dignity is respected, whilst innovation is enabled; and secondly on digital sovereignty, whilst fully exploiting the inter-connectivity of digital and data economies.
These topics are also part of the priorities of South Africa’s G20 presidency in the domain of Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance and Innovation for Sustainable Development.
Minister Nzimande’s participation in the World Governments Summit is part of the DSTI’s ongoing efforts to promote South Africa as a preferred partner for international cooperation in science, technology and innovation and forms part of the Minister’s G20 engagements with his counterparts, across the world.
At a time when multilateralism and global solidarity is under threat, the Minister’s engagements will also seek to deploy science diplomacy as an instrument in support of South Africa’s foreign policy objectives to bring countries together, bridge divisions, and united efforts to achieve common objectives such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
As one of the world’s most prestigious and influential forums for open debate and frank exchange between global leaders, the World Governments Summit is a strategic platform from which to advance these objectives.
Minister Nzimande will therefore also leverage his presence in the UAE to advance bilateral cooperation with a country, which is also a strategic BRICS partner, and an invited guest of South Africa for the G20.
The Minister’s agenda will thus include several ministerial level engagements with the UAE Government, which will also finalise preparations for the signature of a new bilateral agreement.
The Minister will also have bilateral meetings with other African Ministers in attendance in Dubai to advance the African Union’s new Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa.
Enquiries:
Veli Mbele
Cell: 064 615 0644
Email: Veli.Mbele@dsti.gov.za
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