The Non-aligned Movement (Nam) needs to strive for more unity in dealing with the challenges facing its members, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane urged on Monday.

South Africa strongly believed the Nam should continue to be better organised, coordinated and coherent, she told the Nam's preparatory Ministerial meeting of the fifteenth Heads of State and government summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

This was necessary to effectively deal with the current and immediate crises facing humanity, among other things, food security, the flu pandemic, fuel price increases and the threat of climate change.

"Our struggle to eradicate poverty and hunger cannot be won if the crises stated above are not mitigated and overcome," read a copy of her speech.

"We must remain united in all our endeavours to rid our planet of weapons of mass destruction and achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and stop the elicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

"A strong revival of the movement on the international scale of a peace movement is vital.

"Our movement and other organisations that stand for peace and development, for example, Socialist International, have to do a lot to create conditions for the world and our countries to enjoy peace," she said.

The solidarity for peace could not come without active participation of grass-root organisations in all formations.

Without these, humanity could not and would not realise the aims of the founding fathers that created the United Nations and those that gathered in Bandung to create the Nam.

"Human dignity must be restored, as it is a human right we cannot allow to be compromised," Nkoana-Mashabane said.

Another essential pillar of our foreign policy is the promotion and strengthening of South—South cooperation.

"It is our view, that the cooperation between countries of the South will contribute towards the speedy recovery of the world economy."

Strengthening South—South relations had in recent years developed into high-level intercontinental engagements. This boded well for strengthening solidarity and developing interdependence among developing countries to address poverty, education, health, population, women and children.

Another key aspect in this engagement was the cooperation in the scientific, technical and trade fields, she said.

"We believe there is much work to be done, if we want to ensure better lives for the billions of people this movement represents.

"South Africa is convinced that we can achieve these goals, but only if we do so in partnership, first of all with each other, but also with the developed world," she said.