Date: 24/11/2004
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Skweyiya: Press Briefing on SADC Ministers of Social Development meeting
BRIEFING NOTES FOR MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE IN PREPARATION FOR SADC MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Background
During 1999 and 2000 the Minister of Social Development chaired the SADC Ministerial Consultations on the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development. The consultations culminated with a SADC Statement of Intent on Copenhagen which was subsequently submitted to the UN Special Session on the review of Copenhagen + 5 held in Geneva during 2000.
Recommendations were also made to the SADC Council of Ministers to consider establishing a structure that would look at implementation of the outcomes of the Summit as social development issues in general. The SADC Council at their meeting in Swaziland in 2001 deferred the decision due to the restructuring of SADC.
Prior to the restructuring of SADC institutions, SADC had 21 Sector Coordinating Units based in various member states. While coordination of health, education, employment and labour programmes was institutionalised, issues of social integration, social protection and integrated development including social services were not coordinated at regional level, in other words there was no specific sector coordinating coherent social development programmes.
By invitation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Minister of Social Development Dr ZST Skweyiya participated at the Forum of Social Development Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean, in Santiago Chile from 9 - 11 June 2003.
Discussions between the Minister and UNESCO, led to a proposal to explore possibilities of establishing a Network of African Ministers of Social Development similar to the Latin America and the Caribbean one.
The Minister proposed and UNESCO agreed that the process commence with a meeting of Ministers of Social Development of the SADC region. UNESCO therefore proposed that the Minister considers inviting as observers at least one Minister from each African Regional Organisation, to facilitate consultation on both the need and viability of a region-wide meeting that could validate such a network.
2. Process
The SADC Council of Ministers at the meetings in Tanzania and Mauritius during March and August this year endorsed the need to have the meeting of social development of the sub – region to review the implementation of the outcomes of the 1995 World Summit on Social Development.
The agenda of the Ministerial Meeting would be based on the review of Copenhagen + 10, linking it with the priorities of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and planning ahead on how to contribute to the NEPAD process. The initiative aims to promote dialogue and cooperation and should not be seen as a replacement for any existing structures at both SADC and AU levels, but simply as a mechanism to facilitate dialogue and exchange in responding to social development.
Although this is a SADC Meeting a number of countries have been identified to participate as observers to allow for facilitation of similar discussions in other sub-regions of Africa, these include Mali, Senegal and Nigeria. Since social development is a key concern of the developing world the Minister from Peru will also provide an overview on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Forum for Social Development in their capacity as chair.
The Meeting is scheduled to take place in Cape Town from 25 – 27 November 2004, 25 – 26 being the senior officials meeting and 27 will be the Ministerial meeting. The meeting is expected to produce a sub-regional (SADC) report on the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development. The report would be submitted to the UN Special Session on the review of Copenhagen +10 in 2005. It is expected that the 43rd Session of the UN Commission for Social Development, which will be chaired by South Africa, would deal with the review of Copenhagen steering the discussions towards linking the implementation of Copenhagen and MDGs with the development and implementation of the social objectives of NEPAD.
The general objectives of the initiative are as follows:
* To establish a of Network African Ministers of Social Development
* To promote sharing of experiences and best practices in the area of social development
* Strengthen ties and cooperation between African leaders and its peoples
* Facilitate harmonisation of social development policies as well as move towards a more united Africa when engaging with the global community.
Enquiries: Mbulelo Musi
Cell: 082 904 3395
Issued by: Ministry of Social Development
24 November 2004
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Skweyiya: Press Briefing on SADC Ministers of Social Development meeting
BRIEFING NOTES FOR MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE IN PREPARATION FOR SADC MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Background
During 1999 and 2000 the Minister of Social Development chaired the SADC Ministerial Consultations on the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development. The consultations culminated with a SADC Statement of Intent on Copenhagen which was subsequently submitted to the UN Special Session on the review of Copenhagen + 5 held in Geneva during 2000.
Recommendations were also made to the SADC Council of Ministers to consider establishing a structure that would look at implementation of the outcomes of the Summit as social development issues in general. The SADC Council at their meeting in Swaziland in 2001 deferred the decision due to the restructuring of SADC.
Prior to the restructuring of SADC institutions, SADC had 21 Sector Coordinating Units based in various member states. While coordination of health, education, employment and labour programmes was institutionalised, issues of social integration, social protection and integrated development including social services were not coordinated at regional level, in other words there was no specific sector coordinating coherent social development programmes.
By invitation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Minister of Social Development Dr ZST Skweyiya participated at the Forum of Social Development Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean, in Santiago Chile from 9 - 11 June 2003.
Discussions between the Minister and UNESCO, led to a proposal to explore possibilities of establishing a Network of African Ministers of Social Development similar to the Latin America and the Caribbean one.
The Minister proposed and UNESCO agreed that the process commence with a meeting of Ministers of Social Development of the SADC region. UNESCO therefore proposed that the Minister considers inviting as observers at least one Minister from each African Regional Organisation, to facilitate consultation on both the need and viability of a region-wide meeting that could validate such a network.
2. Process
The SADC Council of Ministers at the meetings in Tanzania and Mauritius during March and August this year endorsed the need to have the meeting of social development of the sub – region to review the implementation of the outcomes of the 1995 World Summit on Social Development.
The agenda of the Ministerial Meeting would be based on the review of Copenhagen + 10, linking it with the priorities of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and planning ahead on how to contribute to the NEPAD process. The initiative aims to promote dialogue and cooperation and should not be seen as a replacement for any existing structures at both SADC and AU levels, but simply as a mechanism to facilitate dialogue and exchange in responding to social development.
Although this is a SADC Meeting a number of countries have been identified to participate as observers to allow for facilitation of similar discussions in other sub-regions of Africa, these include Mali, Senegal and Nigeria. Since social development is a key concern of the developing world the Minister from Peru will also provide an overview on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Forum for Social Development in their capacity as chair.
The Meeting is scheduled to take place in Cape Town from 25 – 27 November 2004, 25 – 26 being the senior officials meeting and 27 will be the Ministerial meeting. The meeting is expected to produce a sub-regional (SADC) report on the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development. The report would be submitted to the UN Special Session on the review of Copenhagen +10 in 2005. It is expected that the 43rd Session of the UN Commission for Social Development, which will be chaired by South Africa, would deal with the review of Copenhagen steering the discussions towards linking the implementation of Copenhagen and MDGs with the development and implementation of the social objectives of NEPAD.
The general objectives of the initiative are as follows:
* To establish a of Network African Ministers of Social Development
* To promote sharing of experiences and best practices in the area of social development
* Strengthen ties and cooperation between African leaders and its peoples
* Facilitate harmonisation of social development policies as well as move towards a more united Africa when engaging with the global community.
Enquiries: Mbulelo Musi
Cell: 082 904 3395
Issued by: Ministry of Social Development
24 November 2004
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