Speech by the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, Honourable Thandi Ruth Modise, on the occasion of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Moscow, Russia
Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation, Hon V Matvienko
Chairperson of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Hon S Naryshkin
Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Chambers of BRICS
Members of Parliaments
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I join my counterparts in thanking our host and the people of Moscow and the Russian Federation for the warm welcome and hospitality we have received since our arrival. This historical gathering of the representatives of the people of the BRICS countries takes place just a month after the celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of the defeat of Fascism by the great people of Russia.
In September this year, we will mark the 70th Anniversary of the formation of the United Nations.
Chairperson,
This gathering brings together the crucial link - the parliaments of BRICS - to move for the formation of a body that will propel the coordination, restructuring, transformation or improvements of the post 1945 institutions of global governance like the UN, the Security Council, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank. These institutions need to be transformed in line with the changes in the world politics and economics.
Chairperson,
As Africans we are guided by the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which appreciates the great role of the UN in advancing peace and security in the world. We appreciate the role of the UN in facilitating global governance reform. We appreciate further that the UN must itself undergo some adjustment if it is to continue to help build stability and the necessary conditions for development across the world.
South Africa acknowledges that the BRICS Parliamentary Forum must be formed to increase co-ordination, communication and cooperation amongst us. All of us, the countries of BRICS, share histories, ties - political and/or cultural - that go way back to the Bandung gathering of 1955. Over the years we have faced numerous struggles for political and economic independence as a united front.
We are worried about the conflicts and acts of terrorism across the world, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Republic of Africa, Burundi, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine and the continued occupation of Palestine.
South Africa acknowledges that economic growth for Africa has been slow. We further acknowledge that economic growth cannot be achieved without peace and stability. We freely accept that South Africa’s national interest is inextricably linked to the unity, stability and prosperity of the whole continent.
We are a strategic gateway into Africa and believe that our role in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) fora is reflected in the execution of our foreign policy and respect for international law. We also believe that international relations should be rule-based and that multilateralism should be and could be the only cornerstone of global security.
Ubuntu is our guiding philosophy. This concept speaks to our interconnectedness as humanity. This means we continue to champion coordination, coexistence over conflict and recognise that we can only progress if we focus on our common humanity and strive for the greater good.
Chairperson,
The 2013 BRICS Summit in Durban acknowledged the central role of the African Union and its Peace and Security Council. It called for:
- collective security in the context of Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter;
- support for African ownership and priority setting, partnership on the basis of consultative decision-making etc.
We believe that these discussions point us, as parliaments, in the right direction to begin to fashion instruments to promote peace and security.
The Fortaleza Declaration and the Fortaleza Action Plan strengthen the willingness of BRICS countries to shape the global discourse for development, governance and peace.
We need to follow up on international agreements, coordinate parliamentary committee oversight on treaties. This means we must ensure that our parliaments get regular reports on the processing and implementation of agreements on behalf of our people.
We are duty-bound to enact and amend laws, approve national budget etc. Unless we scrutinise these agreements and engage our executives robustly, BRICS will not effectively deliver to our people.
Our objective must be to use the constitutional leverages vested in our parliamentary institutions to influence, shape and provide critical input into advancing the interests of BRICS.
This meeting must be the first step in realising the dreams and aspirations of those we represent. Our people must not count on our intentions but on our actions.
Thank you!
