Mabandla, at the 46th Asian-Africa Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO)
session
2 July 2007
His Excellency, Mr Hans Raj Bhardwaj, President of the AALCO
His Excellency, Doctor Wafik Z Kamil, Secretary-General of the AALCO
Honourable Ministers of the Member States of the AALCO
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, special invitees
Ladies and gentlemen
The Government of the Republic of South Africa and its people extends a warm
welcome to all of you.
It is a momentous occasion for our Government of the Republic of South
Africa and its people to host the 46th session of Asian-Africa Legal
Consultative Organisation (AALCO) session. This is momentous because we are a
country that can be classified as an emerging democracy and hard at work
building democratic institutions addressing the challenges of poverty, disease
and lack of skills. The ruling party, the African National Congress, has just
held its policy conference which bears relevance to the reconstruction and
development of our country. This conference therefore takes place at a time
when we ourselves are searching for answers.
South Africa like many African and Asian countries faces similar
socioeconomic and development challenges in an unequal and fast globalising
order. We have a common destiny.
The fact that AALCO is a product of the 1955 Bandung conference is
important. Bandung was an expression of solidarity of those who fought for the
human development and in particular the advancement of the people of Asia and
Africa. At the time South Africa was fighting against part of that
people-to-people solidarity that was concretised in Bandung in 1955. At the
time the majority of the people of South Africa were struggling against
apartheid and keen to see Bandung succeed.
The then Acting Secretary-General of the African National Congress, OR
Tambo, in a message to the Asian-African Conference in Bandung observed that:
"To the vast majority of the Asian-African peoples it will certainly be a
source of inspiration. It will be regarded as paving the way for good things to
come, and a step in the direction of meeting aspirations of the vast majority
of mankind, particularly the oppressed peoples of Asia and Africa."
Celebrating the jubilee of the AsianâAfrican strategic partnership in
Indonesia in 2005, President Mbeki said: "There is no doubt that we can report
to our people that we are today stronger than we were 50 years ago, that we
have much better possibilities to achieve the vision of 1955 than the
generation of 1955 had."
President Mbeki also acknowledged that there are challenges. He said that
"despite all this progress, we continue to face the daunting challenges to
eradicate poverty and underdevelopment that afflicts millions of our peoples,
which coexist side by side with the availability of sufficient resources in the
global economy to make poverty history."
Over the years AALCO has held together the spirit of Bandung in the field of
international law and as a forum for Afro-Asian co-operation in international
legal matters. It has contributed to substantive reform of international law
whilst providing a vital platform for intellectual interaction amongst legal
experts from all over the world. However, I believe that we need greater
articipation of African states in AALCO. AALCO is as relevant and important to
African and Asian countries as it was when it was formed. AALCO can contribute
significantly to the restructuring of legal systems in post-conflict countries
of Africa. More African states should join AALCO as they would benefit from
interaction at the numerous codification conferences that feed into treaty
making bodies of the United Nations Organisation.
Peace, stability and development is as much a challenge today as it was
during the early days of the League of Nations. Over the decades a body of
human rights have developed and numerous instruments developed to enhance and
promote peaceful co-existence. Today we are seized with the challenge of
combating terrorism, especially trans-national aggression of this kind. And
this is one of the issues that AALCO is also seized with.
In pursuit of the promotion of good governance new instruments are being
considered for fighting corruption and organised crime. Corruption contributes
to poverty and underdevelopment. The United Nations Convention against
Corruption will not be effective by mere signing, ratification and accession by
member states. Domestication of these instruments is not enough as well. We
need to show our commitment to this by acting decisively against those who
commit corruption and are involved in organised crime. South Africa is
committed to fighting corruption. I am pleased that this is one another matter
that AALCO is seized with.
Mr President, Asia and Africa have identified poverty and underdevelopment
as a huge challenge. Indeed, disparities in wealth of the people of the North
and South define the inequality of the people of the world. The World Summit on
Sustainable Development which took place in our country in 2002 presented a
platform at which strategies for development were considered and the Millennium
Development Goals were adopted to deal with these challenges. It is thus in
this context that AALCO is now discussing a legal framework and code of conduct
for world trade.
Mr President, a rising concern is being raised against trafficking in women
and children.
This is a scourge that should be eradicated. There needs to be effective
instruments trans-nationally and domestically to effectively eradicate
trafficking. I am please that this is one of the topics for discussion at this
AALCO meeting.
Mr President, it also pleasing to note that folklore and its international
protection is part of the agenda. Indigenous knowledge and folklore are
important in the lives of many people in both Africa and Asia. Adding value and
protecting of rights in indigenous knowledge can have an economic benefit for
many indigenous practitioners and crafters in Africa and Asia.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, I wish this conference
every success. I would also like to wish the distinguished delegates a pleasant
stay in our country. The hectic schedule permitting, I am hoping you will find
time to explore this beautiful city.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
2 June 2007
Source: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (http://www.doj.gov.za)
