Speaker, I would like to thank the hon member Kubayi for the statement she made on the International Youth Conference. I was honoured to lead the government delegation to the World Youth Conference held in Mexico from 24 to 27 August. That conference brought together the government, nongovernmental organisations and parliamentarians to discuss burning issues of youth development in the world today. In particular, it looked at the millennium development goals and how they relate to the youth with a view to making an input at the United Nations General Assembly when it meets later in September.
We focused on issues of particular concern to youth such as health, education and job creation, and we hope that those deliberations are going to guide the UN General Assembly. The significance is that this gathering took place in the second international year of youth, the first one having taken place in 1985 when the youth of South Africa were at the forefront fighting for democracy.
As South Africa, we put forward a number of demands and needs in that meeting relating to the establishment of the UN Youth Fund to start a process leading to a UN Convention on the Rights of Youth. In that, we were echoing the words of the late president of the ANC Oliver Tambo when he said that "a nation, a movement, a people that does not value its youth does not deserve its future".
In conclusion, Speaker, we look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of young people to South Africa from 13 to 21 December when the World Federation of Democratic Youth hosts the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students. I thank you. [Applause.]