Hon Chair of the sitting today, hon chair of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation, hon members of the committee, Your Excellencies, ambassadors and high commissioners, representatives of international organisations, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, comrades, friends and fellow South Africans, good morning and a belated happy Africa Day!
As we remember our own struggle for liberation and the creation of the Organisation of African Unity, OAU, we are reminded of the solidarity of our brothers and sisters, friends and fellow citizens around the world, who shared our dreams of a free and democratic South Africa and Africa.
Let us take a moment to express our sincere and heartfelt condolences to those who have lost families and friends through floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and other natural disasters in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Haiti, Japan, the United States of America, USA, and other parts of the world. We also remember the victims of violence in Africa, particularly in the Middle East, the North African Region and various conflicts around the world. We also recall the tragic bombings of the Twin Towers in New York on what will be its 10th anniversary later this year. We pledge our solidarity with these countries in their trying times, and convey our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.
Let me take this opportunity to thank the President of South Africa, President Zuma, and Deputy President Motlanthe for leading our foreign policy efforts, and for their tireless dedication, wisdom and guidance.
Globalisation has brought all domestic issues into the global framework, and I am therefore grateful for the support of Parliament, the NCOP, my Cabinet colleagues and our partner departments.
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Jerry Matjila on his recent appointment as the director-general of our department. He brings a wonderful history of experience and involvement in international relations, and we are looking forward to working with him in the service of our people. [Applause.]
Our mentor and father, Oliver Reginald Tambo, reminded us of the purpose of serving our people when he spoke in Lusaka on 1 July 1989, and I quote:
The fact that we are all here is an expression of the unity of purpose among concerned patriots. It is a portent of the unity of the South African people. It serves also as an example of how South Africans should meet ... as equals, as compatriots, engaged in a common endeavour to create a better future for us all. ... It is indeed our collective responsibility to rid our country (and the world) of the cause of conflict, deprivation and disunity ...
Although much has changed since 1989, the words of O R Tambo still echo and carry meaning for the work of our country, especially our department, the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, Dirco. It is appropriate then that our head office is named after this very, very important figure, O R Tambo.
Our foreign policy objectives are grounded in the philosophy of our glorious movement that brought democracy and justice to our shores. It is our philosophy of togetherness and the recognition of our interconnectedness that frames our diplomacy - we are South Africans because we are a society of nations.
Our task as a nation emerging from a troubled past has always been to create political, economic and social spaces to address the challenges of poverty, underdevelopment and marginalisation. We are doing so, and doing so effectively, as was the testimony of our people on 18 May 2011, and as this has been since 27 April 1994. Hence, as South Africans we can today stand united behind the dream of O R Tambo - as he said, we are a portent of unity, as equals, as compatriots, engaged in a common endeavour to create a better future for all of us. This is our legacy. This is our heritage. This is our collective responsibility and our diplomacy.
In a shifting geopolitical landscape constrained by budgets and time, our department works tirelessly to be able to rise to the challenge presented to us, to ensure that we contribute to building a better Africa, fostering better strategic partnerships and significantly participating in global institutions of governance.
I stand before you this morning humbled by the significant strides South Africa has made in the last two years. Nothing can explain the continued trajectory of our foreign policy better than, inter alia, the following: our election by acclamation to the world's pre-eminent peace and security organ, the United Nations Security Council, UNSC, after a lapse of just two years; our admission to the most powerful bloc of emerging markets - Brazil, Russia, India and China, popularly known as Brics now; our leadership of the infrastructure development initiative within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, Nepad; our assumption of the chairpersonship of the Southern African Development Community's, Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, OADS; our hosting, next month, of the SADC East African Economic Community, EAEC, and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Comesa, talks on a possible free trade zone; our hosting of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP 17/CMP7, summit in Durban later this year; and our hosting of the India, Brazil, South Africa, Ibsa, summit in October this year.
Our assumption of these major regional, continental and global responsibilities is a demonstration of the confidence that our continent and the international community at large have in our ability to selflessly fulfil these various roles and take on these responsibilities.
Our hosting of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup added to the growing list of our successes in hosting major events. Our people responded with pride, and today there is nothing but praise and admiration for and confidence in the fact that we are a reliable, responsible and valuable international partner. It is thus important to consolidate these gains and continue to utilise our experience to rise to the challenges presented by the ever- changing international environment.
South Africa will continue to focus in its foreign policy on promoting the integration of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, the unity and renewal of the African continent, South-South co-operation and North- South dialogue. South Africa will also work with other countries for a global system of governance that is democratic and responsive to the interests and aspirations of developing countries. Our programmes on the continent and in the world have been aligned to our national priorities, using bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.
In the area of peace and stability, we continue to support the SADC mediation efforts aimed at assisting the people of Madagascar to return the country to constitutional order. We also welcome, with all our member countries on the continent, the newest member of the African Union, AU, family, South Sudan, which will be declared an independent state on 9 July 2011.
We must, however, say that we express our deep concern with regard to the recent armed confrontation and violence in the Abyei region, and call on all parties still to adhere to the commitments they made in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA, and resolve all conflicts in a peaceful manner.
We will work together with the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, as they move to the second presidential elections scheduled for November this year, and will continue to support efforts aimed at the consolidation of democracy in the country.
As far as Zimbabwe is concerned, we call on all parties to spare no effort in continuing with the finalisation of the implementation of the Global Political Agreement, GPA. We encourage them to conclude discussions on the road map towards holding elections - free, fair and peaceful, we suppose.
We observe that after a tenuous moment in the history of Cte d'Ivoire, the country is now poised for normalisation with the inauguration of His Excellency, President Alassane Ouattara. South Africa is making itself available to continue working with the people of Cte d'Ivoire, who have already visited us twice to ask for support as they strive for national healing, reconciliation and reconstruction of the country.
As I mentioned earlier, the situation in North Africa - and in Libya, in particular - continues to preoccupy the international community. Consistent with the decision taken by the African Union, AU, on Libya, we reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire that is verifiable. We also encourage the warring parties to begin dialogue leading to a democratic transition. We still strongly believe that there is no solution for the Libyan problem that will come militarily; it will only come through political dialogue.
We will continue to contribute to the integration of our region. As I said earlier on, in this coming month of June we will be hosting the trilateral negotiations for a free trade agreement that will cover 700 million people.
We will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the AU, and we believe that we should continue to prioritise the important elements and building blocks that make up this formidable organisation for the development of Africa. South Africa deposited its instruments of ratification of the Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance during the January 2011 AU summit. We encourage other member states to do just that.
President Zuma leads the Nepad high-level committee on infrastructure which focuses on the integration of infrastructure in the whole of the African continent. This augurs well for our hosting the trilateral discussions that I referred to earlier on. Equatorial Guinea will be hosting the forthcoming summit of the AU, and we are doing our part to make it a successful summit which will look at all the political and economic problems of our continent.
Led by President Zuma, we joined the Brazil, Russia, India and China, Bric, formation, just a few years after we cofounded India, Brazil and South Africa, Ibsa, as another important formation to champion the cause of the marginalised South and to bring their voice into the political and economic space that will craft our common future as we move forward. We have maintained excellent relations with the other countries that are part of Brics. We believe that this offers a momentous opportunity for business in particular, as we strive to build a better Africa and a better world.
The Caribbean and Latin American regions remain very important anchors of South-South co-operation. Therefore, we will continue to work with our partners there to strengthen the Africa-South America, ASA, framework which, as I said, augurs well for South-South co-operation.
We once again join those calling for the lifting of the United States embargo against Cuba. We also welcome the outcome of the presidential elections in Haiti and assure the incoming government of our support.
We have commenced with the implementation of the roadmap towards the hosting of the Diaspora Summit in South Africa in 2012. We will be hosting a ministerial preparatory meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, this year, moving towards that goal.
Asia and the Middle East continue to be areas of priority in our foreign policy in the context of South-South co-operation. We have very good and active bilateral relations with countries in this region. We also take note of the report of the Panel of Experts appointed by the UN Secretary-General on the conflict in Sri Lanka. South Africa strongly urges all parties to work for a peaceful solution in the Middle East and North Africa, MENA, region and ensure a sense of urgency.
However, we note with regret once more that no convincing progress has been made in the Arab-Israeli peace process since it was rekindled on 2 September 2010. We are, however, encouraged by the recent pact signed between the Palestinian Fatah government and Hamas. South Africa urges Israel to comply with already agreed upon commitments and obligations for the creation of the State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders.
Strengthening of North-South co-operation is another pillar of our foreign policy. This involves building strong bilateral relations with countries of North America and Europe, as well as Japan and Australasia, in addressing challenges of poverty, underdevelopment, lack of peace and security, and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa.
Our strategic dialogue with the United States is one mechanism that ensures sustained and ongoing dialogue between our two countries on issues of mutual interest.
We will continue utilising our strategic dialogue with the European Union, as well as individual member countries, through high-level visits and bilateral mechanisms to promote our national interest, including the African agenda.
South Africa has consistently reaffirmed the primacy of multilateralism, in particular the UN system, as a guarantor for addressing our common challenges, in particular global peace and security.
The importance of the UN Security Council cannot be understated. We call on all its members to respect the letter and spirit of UN Security Council resolutions. We reiterate that the reform of the UN Security Council is urgent and would go a long way in rectifying inequitable power relations within the council.
We have continued to work in all fora for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction and seek to ensure greater international peace and security through the promotion of disarmament, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and conventional arms control.
Furthermore, we note with appreciation the growing role of the G20 in the international system. We are thankful to it for the measures it took to arrest the further deterioration of the global economy. As co-chair of the Development Working Group, led by the president of this body, we are better placed to work with others to strengthen the contribution of the G20 in the development arena.
South Africa will be hosting the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP 17/CMP7 in Durban later this year. On the one hand, we will have a dual role as the host and president of the conference, with the responsibility of leading member countries towards a fair, ambitious and balanced outcome, and, on the other hand, as a country participating in the negotiations.
Preparations for hosting this conference are now at an advanced stage, in terms of both logistics and substance. We have participated and continue to participate in formal and informal consultations with different groups, regions and countries across the world towards the summit in Durban. As we speak, we are also hosting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, Secretariat here in Cape Town as we prepare for a good outcome in Durban.
The outcome of the Durban meetings ought to address, among others, the resolution of fundamental issues over the future of the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012, as well as the implementation of the Cancun outcomes. Our hosting of COP 17/CMP7 dovetails with other important meetings that are coming, the next being the Rio+20 and the biodiversity gathering in Delhi in 2013.
We made a commitment that by mid-year we would have the full establishment of the SA Development Partnership Agency, Sadpa. The Department of International Relations and Co-operation is currently finalising a Bill, and we envisage that Sadpa will be operational during the last quarter of 2011. We are also committing ourselves to finalising the draft White Paper, after extensive consultations with all stakeholders in the country.
Our Budget Vote draws its strength and inspiration from the prescripts of the national priorities of our government. To this end the President has called on all of us to make contributions to job creation. We are working together with sister departments in the International Co-operation, Trade and Security, ICTS, cluster to achieve just that. We have also worked on training 39 additional cadets, scraping from our limited resources to advance our cause in making sure that South Africa's economic diplomacy moves forward to respond to the President's call.
Our public diplomacy is doing very well and is increasing interaction with various stakeholders in the country. We have covered more than six provinces to date and we will be going for the second round as soon as we finish.
We are working together with the Department for the Public Service and Administration to better the livelihoods of our diplomats and spouses serving South Africa in different countries.
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation remains seized with plans to ensure strengthened relations with the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation, and the Select Committee on Trade and International Relations, as well as other committees on critical issues of importance and common interest. We also want to take this opportunity to thank you so much for your co-operation.
Today is 31 May 2011. In 1910, on exactly the same day, the Union of South Africa was formed, the outcome of a settlement between our colonisers on how best to oppress the black majority and perfect the colonial system. One product of this, two years later, was the birth of the ANC in 1912, whose centenary will be celebrated next year on 8 January 2012. These 100 years of struggle for freedom have bequeathed to us a rich tradition of solidarity and empathy - solidarity with the poor and those struggling for the right to self-determination. The Freedom Charter enjoins us to live in peace and friendship with other nations.
As changes sweep across the globe and touch the lives of people in even the remotest of habitats, we cannot be mere spectators. Our people, our history and our diplomacy demand more from us. We will continue to engage with the international community with a sense of purpose to effect change, rather than just be affected by it. In this time of rapid and constant change and interdependence amongst nations, it's quite self-evident.
It is also evident that mutually beneficial co-operation is a necessity. Consequently, the world is experiencing the practical necessity of making the philosophical paradigm shift from power to partnership in international relations.
In short the world is experiencing and discovering ubuntu or, as O R Tambo put it, "an expression of the unity of purpose among concerned patriots ... as equals ... engaged in a common endeavour to create a better future for us all".
In conclusion, let me take this opportunity once again to thank our two Deputy Ministers for their sterling work in making sure that we continue to work together in implementing South Africa's foreign policy. I thank you. [Applause.]