1. Introduction
The General Debate of the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA-65) will be convened in New York from 23 to 30 September to 2010. UNGA-65 will take place under the theme “Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance”. The General Debate will be preceded this year by a High-Level Meeting on Millennium Development Goals on 20 to 22 September 2010. The primary objective of the MDG Summit will be to accelerate progress towards the attainment of all MDGs by 2015.
Session of UNGA presents an opportunity for Heads of States and Governments to interact on global issues that confront the international community.
2. RSA’s priorities at UNGA-65 are premised on:
- We require a strengthened United Nations that is able to adapt and provide a framework of collective responses by the international community; and
- Our approach is informed broadly by our belief in multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations in this regard.
3. The following seven (7) policy objectives will be pursued by the South African delegation to the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA-65):
- Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
- Global financial and economic crisis
- Climate Change
- Reform of international institutions, including the United Nations
- Promotion of the African Agenda including NEPAD
- Promotion of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation
- Promotion of South-South Cooperation
3.1 MDGs
- The eradication of poverty, remains a top priority
- We urge development partners of developing countries not to restrict or with-hold their development efforts during these difficult times
- We need to continually reinforce the exchange of experiences and best practices, from both North-South and South-South and
- Agree that significant advances in some goals can be noted, although Sub-Saharan Africa is still lagging far behind the other regions.
3.2 Global Financial and Economic Crisis
- The crisis has had a negative impact on the development of low income countries, particularly in Africa
- The crisis threatens the continent’s progress towards attaining the MDGs;
- The crisis has confirmed that the current structures and instruments of global economic governance are largely inadequate and are in need of reform
- Such reform of the international financial architecture is necessary to ensure a system that is better equipped and geared to achieving MDGs
- There is a need to redefine the interaction between the Bretton Woods institutions and the range of other multilateral bodies that play a role in the system of global governance, e.g. the UN, WTO and ILO.
3.3 Climate Change
- The debate has moved from environmental to developmental issues
- Developed countries view the climate change debate as a vehicle to reshape the way the world does business, provides financing and adheres to previously agreed issues
- Our delegation to UNGA-65 will continue to actively participate in all the discussions related to climate change, including attending a meeting convened by Mexico on the margins of UNGA65.
3.4 Reform of international institutions, including the United Nations
- Such reform is aimed at ensuring that the Organisation is strengthened in order to enhance its effectiveness
- We will continue advocating for the fundamental reform of the International Financial Institutions, relating to their mandate, representation, scope, governance, responsibility, responsiveness and development orientation
- Such reform we believe will ensure that they are democratic, responsive and accountable – and thus reflecting the realities of the 21st century.
3.5 Promotion of the African Agenda including NEPAD
- We support the strengthening of working relations between the UN and regional organisations, in particular the African Union (AU)
- We continue to view the issue of UN support in the implementation of NEPAD through a three-pronged approach, i.e.:
- First: we reiterate the crucial advocacy role to be played by the United Nations in ensuring that Africa continues to remain on the global development agenda
- Second: we stress the importance of the mobilisation of support, capacity and resources targeted at NEPAD priorities; and
- Third: we support the alignment of funds, agencies and programmes geared towards NEPAD objectives.
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- We will continue to support the work of the UN in mobilising support, capacity and resources for the implementation of NEPAD priorities.
3.6 Promotion of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation
- Our country remains committed to a policy of non-proliferation, disarmament and arms control
- The primary goal of our policy is to reinforce and promote South Africa as a responsible producer, possessor and trader of defence related products and advanced technologies in the nuclear, biological, chemical and missile fields
- We continue to strive for an anti-personnel mine-free Africa and the eradication of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and
- We expect that disarmament and non-proliferation issues will continue to feature prominently on the agenda of the Security Council during the period 2011/12 (during which time, we hope South Africa will be a Non-Permanent Member of the Council).
3.7 Promotion of South-South Cooperation (SSC)
- We believe SSC remains a fundamental component of international cooperation for development, in terms of global, regional and country-level efforts to achieve the MDGs and
- We also believe that SSC is a means through which developing country partners can support one another by broadening the scope of their economic engagement and by enhancing technical, financial, and institutional partnerships, technology transfer and learning.
For more information, please contact:
Mr Saul Kgomotso Molobi
Cell: 082 940 1647
Tel: +27 12 351 0083
E-mail: molobisk@dirco.gov.za
