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Polity
Published: 20 Sep 2004
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| Mbeki to participate in UN assembly talks | |
| President Thabo Mbeki is in New York this week for the three-day
United Nations General Assembly meeting. The forum, which will be attended by global leaders from both the developed and developing nations would debate, amongst others, challenges in reaching Millennium Development Goal, global terrorism, instability in Iraq, bloody tension between Israel and Palestine and the thorny expansion of UN Security Council. n issue that is likely to raise debate would be the recommendations, by an UN appointed expert panel on the expansion and reform of UNSC, which developing nations including South Africa, India and Brazil have been advocating. The three countries have vowed to insist on the review of all of the UN's influential structures particularly UNSC, arguing that the Security Council, as configured today, "is not representative of present-day realities". President Mbeki, who is accompanied by Foreign Affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, is expected to touch on the need for speedy reform of UNSC during his address on Wednesday. Officials said Mbeki would also use the platform to call for strengthening and centrality of multilateralism and challenging unilateralism and what foreign affairs department calls a "projectionist approach" by some developed nation. Foreign affairs department said President Mbeki would also articulate Pretoria's views on wide-ranging topical areas especially around peace and security, the promotion of both the African Union and Nepad. "It is important that support already allocated to NEPAD by the UN system, is further concretized and where possible increased," adding that ensuring peace and stability in Africa ought to be a priority. - BuaNews |
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