United Nations general assembly
23 September 2007
President and Mrs Thabo Mbeki, supported by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr.
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will today, 23 September 2007 depart for New York where
he will lead the South African delegation to the 62nd Session of the United
Nations (UN) General Assembly and meetings of the UN Security Council.
President and Mrs Thabo Mbeki's delegation will include Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad, Foreign Affairs Director-General, Dr Ayanda
Ntsaluba, Ambassador George Nene, the Head of Multilateral Affairs at Foreign
Affairs and South Africa's permanent representative to the UN Ambassador
Dumisani Kumalo.
South Africa will participate in the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly
within the context of its conviction that the multilateral system of global
governance remains the only hope of addressing current challenges facing
humanity today.
In this regard, President Mbeki is expected to address the UN General
Assembly of the Heads of State and Government on 25 September 2007 under the
theme: "Responding to Climate Change". Accordingly, South Africa is expected to
articulate its approach to and ways and means of addressing global challenges
emanating from climate change.
Other areas of focus for the General Assembly include:
* progress towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals,
* peace and security in Africa,
* comprehensive reform of the UN system including its Security Council,
* disarmament and
* counter-terrorism
What is significant is that South Africa will be participating in the 62nd
session of the UN General Assembly for the first time as a non-permanent member
of the UN Security Council. Accordingly, President Mbeki is expected to lead
the South African delegation, to the UN Security Council debate of Heads of
State and Government focussing on "Peace and Security in Africa."
Following its election to the UN Security Council, South Africa committed
itself to help create synergies between the African Union (AU) Peace and
Security Council and the UN Security Council in the maintenance of Global Peace
and Security as well as the prevention of outbreaks of conflicts in the
continent of Africa.
Meanwhile Deputy Minister, Aziz Pahad represented South Africa at the High
Level Ministerial meeting of the UN Security council to discuss developments in
Darfur and Iraq held on Friday and Saturday respectively.
During the debate on Darfur in the Security Council early this year, South
Africa voted alongside all members of the Security Council on the need for the
deployment of the African Union (AU)-UN hybrid operation to bring an end to the
conflict that has left millions of people displaced and countless others maimed
or killed.
Both President Mbeki and Minister Dlamini Zuma are expected to hold a number
of bilateral discussions with their counterparts on the margins of the UN
General Assembly and UN Security Council.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
23 September 2007
