Date: 22/02/2003
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs
Title: Dlamini Zuma: Opening of NAM Ministerial Meeting
OPENING STATEMENT BY MINISTER DLAMINI ZUMA AT THE MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE XIII NAM SUMMIT, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 22 February 2003
Let me welcome all of you to this Ministerial Meeting in Malaysia.
On behalf of all of us, may I take this opportunity to thank the government and people of Malaysia for their warm welcome, their generous hospitality and the superb arrangements.
May I also thank all of you for your cooperation, support, guidance and collective wisdom, which enabled South Africa to fulfil her responsibilities?
Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates,
It is fitting that the first NAM Summit of the new millennium takes place on the continent of Asia. It was in Bandung, some 48 years ago, that five of your leaders brought together 29 states from the continents of Africa and Asia in Bandung. Today, the Movement brings together 114 states, and the vision proposed at the Bandung conference still serves as the basis for the principles of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Movement is facing a number of serious challenges.
Firstly, some of the Bandung principles are under threat. For example, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations; equality of all races and equality of all nations large and small; and the settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the UN Charter are at risk.
Secondly, the majority of the homeless, the sick, the poor, the illiterate and the unskilled of the world are our citizens. The least developed countries of the world are the members of this Movement. The highly indebted nations are all our members.
These are the challenges that face us today, which also faced the founders of this Movement. They understood that their strength was in unity and solidarity and in speaking with one voice.
A lot has changed. The Cold War is over. Globalisation has inequitable benefits for the world. The rich and powerful get the lion's share of the benefits of globalisation.
Our Summit here in Kuala Lumpur takes place at a fragile time for world peace and security.
What are the fundamental principles around these fragile times, especially around the looming war against Iraq? There is no question that Iraq must continue to comply with UN Resolution 1441 and allow the inspectors unlimited and unconditional access. Iraq must be disarmed if it possesses weapons of mass destruction. But, the question is how best to achieve this. We believe that it is possible, desirable and essential that we do this through peaceful means.
Who should do it? The United Nations must be the one that does it as it is charged with our collective security in line with the principles contained in the UN Charter. We must assert the centrality of the UN in settling such matters. Multilateralism is critical for our very survival.
The gathering clouds of war also divert the attention of the international community away from the key question of development, which is all that will ensure sustainable peace and security for the generations to come. Our attention and energies should rather be dedicated to the effective implementation of the goals contained in the Millennium Declaration and the outcomes of the World Conference against Racism (WCAR), the Financing for Development conference, the Doha Development Round, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates,
It is generally agreed that all these challenges require that we consolidate our unity and solidarity and adapt the Movement's instruments of action.
Against this backdrop, the Chair, with the support of all NAM member countries, convened two brainstorming sessions to consider the role of the Movement in the 21st century.
The first meeting of the volunteers was held on the fringes of the NAM Ministerial Meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau in Durban 2002, at the Zimbali Country Lodge. The outcome of these discussions I reported to the plenary of the ministerial interactive roundtable debate, which preceded the Ministerial meeting itself.
In September 2002, at the Ministerial Conference of the NAM in New York, I was urged by members of the Movement to continue with the Zimbali Process and report the outcome of such discussions to this meeting of the XIII Summit. Consequently Zimbali was followed up with a meeting in December 2002 in the Western Cape.
At the last meeting detailed discussions took place on the relevance of the Non-Aligned Movement in the current environment. There was general agreement that NAM remains relevant, but that there is a need to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency. It was also recognised that the spirit of unity in the Movement would be critical for the success of efforts in revitalising the Movement.
The Ministers made several recommendations in respect of each area. This has already been distributed as document NAMXIII/MM/IMS.
It is my wish that we will discuss this and other issues frankly. We must seize this opportunity, created by Malaysia, to set goals for the revitalisation of our Movement.
We congratulate Malaysia for taking the initiative of changing the traditional format of the ministerial level meetings to that of interactive sessions.
Our deliberations and recommendations to the Summit should therefore empower the Malaysian Chair to assume its responsibilities with the full knowledge that it represents a unified Movement with specific goals, and with roles and responsibilities clarified for the accomplishment of these goals. We should also establish priorities and time limits for the accomplishment of results.
We should establish and implement, in conjunction with the membership as a whole, mechanisms and methodology for evaluating our performance in order to adjust continuously to a fast changing global environment.
With those few words, I welcome you again to the meeting.
I thank you.
ELECTION OF MALAYSIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates,
I now propose that we elect, by acclamation, His Excellency Syed Hamid Syed Jaafer Albar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, as Chair of the Ministerial meeting of the XIII Summit Conference.
Excellency, in handing the baton to you I am confident that you will lead - WITH the membership, WITH vision and WITH trust.
South Africa will continue to support you - both as a member state as well as a member of the troika for the duration of your incumbency as chair.
I wish to congratulate you and wish you strength and courage as you preside over our Movement at such a critical juncture when international peace and security is seriously threatened.
I thank you.
For more information, contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082 990 4853, Nomfanelo Kota at 082 377 7208
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
22 February 2003
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs
Title: Dlamini Zuma: Opening of NAM Ministerial Meeting
OPENING STATEMENT BY MINISTER DLAMINI ZUMA AT THE MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE XIII NAM SUMMIT, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 22 February 2003
Let me welcome all of you to this Ministerial Meeting in Malaysia.
On behalf of all of us, may I take this opportunity to thank the government and people of Malaysia for their warm welcome, their generous hospitality and the superb arrangements.
May I also thank all of you for your cooperation, support, guidance and collective wisdom, which enabled South Africa to fulfil her responsibilities?
Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates,
It is fitting that the first NAM Summit of the new millennium takes place on the continent of Asia. It was in Bandung, some 48 years ago, that five of your leaders brought together 29 states from the continents of Africa and Asia in Bandung. Today, the Movement brings together 114 states, and the vision proposed at the Bandung conference still serves as the basis for the principles of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Movement is facing a number of serious challenges.
Firstly, some of the Bandung principles are under threat. For example, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations; equality of all races and equality of all nations large and small; and the settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the UN Charter are at risk.
Secondly, the majority of the homeless, the sick, the poor, the illiterate and the unskilled of the world are our citizens. The least developed countries of the world are the members of this Movement. The highly indebted nations are all our members.
These are the challenges that face us today, which also faced the founders of this Movement. They understood that their strength was in unity and solidarity and in speaking with one voice.
A lot has changed. The Cold War is over. Globalisation has inequitable benefits for the world. The rich and powerful get the lion's share of the benefits of globalisation.
Our Summit here in Kuala Lumpur takes place at a fragile time for world peace and security.
What are the fundamental principles around these fragile times, especially around the looming war against Iraq? There is no question that Iraq must continue to comply with UN Resolution 1441 and allow the inspectors unlimited and unconditional access. Iraq must be disarmed if it possesses weapons of mass destruction. But, the question is how best to achieve this. We believe that it is possible, desirable and essential that we do this through peaceful means.
Who should do it? The United Nations must be the one that does it as it is charged with our collective security in line with the principles contained in the UN Charter. We must assert the centrality of the UN in settling such matters. Multilateralism is critical for our very survival.
The gathering clouds of war also divert the attention of the international community away from the key question of development, which is all that will ensure sustainable peace and security for the generations to come. Our attention and energies should rather be dedicated to the effective implementation of the goals contained in the Millennium Declaration and the outcomes of the World Conference against Racism (WCAR), the Financing for Development conference, the Doha Development Round, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates,
It is generally agreed that all these challenges require that we consolidate our unity and solidarity and adapt the Movement's instruments of action.
Against this backdrop, the Chair, with the support of all NAM member countries, convened two brainstorming sessions to consider the role of the Movement in the 21st century.
The first meeting of the volunteers was held on the fringes of the NAM Ministerial Meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau in Durban 2002, at the Zimbali Country Lodge. The outcome of these discussions I reported to the plenary of the ministerial interactive roundtable debate, which preceded the Ministerial meeting itself.
In September 2002, at the Ministerial Conference of the NAM in New York, I was urged by members of the Movement to continue with the Zimbali Process and report the outcome of such discussions to this meeting of the XIII Summit. Consequently Zimbali was followed up with a meeting in December 2002 in the Western Cape.
At the last meeting detailed discussions took place on the relevance of the Non-Aligned Movement in the current environment. There was general agreement that NAM remains relevant, but that there is a need to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency. It was also recognised that the spirit of unity in the Movement would be critical for the success of efforts in revitalising the Movement.
The Ministers made several recommendations in respect of each area. This has already been distributed as document NAMXIII/MM/IMS.
It is my wish that we will discuss this and other issues frankly. We must seize this opportunity, created by Malaysia, to set goals for the revitalisation of our Movement.
We congratulate Malaysia for taking the initiative of changing the traditional format of the ministerial level meetings to that of interactive sessions.
Our deliberations and recommendations to the Summit should therefore empower the Malaysian Chair to assume its responsibilities with the full knowledge that it represents a unified Movement with specific goals, and with roles and responsibilities clarified for the accomplishment of these goals. We should also establish priorities and time limits for the accomplishment of results.
We should establish and implement, in conjunction with the membership as a whole, mechanisms and methodology for evaluating our performance in order to adjust continuously to a fast changing global environment.
With those few words, I welcome you again to the meeting.
I thank you.
ELECTION OF MALAYSIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates,
I now propose that we elect, by acclamation, His Excellency Syed Hamid Syed Jaafer Albar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, as Chair of the Ministerial meeting of the XIII Summit Conference.
Excellency, in handing the baton to you I am confident that you will lead - WITH the membership, WITH vision and WITH trust.
South Africa will continue to support you - both as a member state as well as a member of the troika for the duration of your incumbency as chair.
I wish to congratulate you and wish you strength and courage as you preside over our Movement at such a critical juncture when international peace and security is seriously threatened.
I thank you.
For more information, contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082 990 4853, Nomfanelo Kota at 082 377 7208
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
22 February 2003
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