The Department of Foreign Affairs, in close cooperation with the Department of Justice, will host an international symposium at Union Buildings in Pretoria on 26 and 27 November 1998.
The symposium, entitled "Improving Technical Co-operation in the Field of Human Rights" forms one of the core activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For historical reasons, South Africa, together with Germany and Poland did not vote for the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The South African symposium has been preceded by two international symposia, the first hosted by the Republic of Poland in Warsaw in January 1997 and the second by the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1998.
Following the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the importance of ensuring that human rights are protected under the rule of law has been widely emphasised by the United Nations and has guided its activities for the promotion and protection of human rights. Bilateral and multilateral technical cooperation programmes are aimed at providing assistance to States, at their request, in the building and strengthening of national structures which have a direct impact on the overall observance of human rights and maintenance of the rule of law.
South Africa is one of the largest recipients of United Nations technical cooperation in this field. This cooperation is provided in terms of an agreement signed on 10 December 1997.
The Symposium will bring together various government representatives, members of SADC, major international donors, independent experts in the field of technical cooperation and human rights, civil society as well as several prominent national role-players in the field.
During the two days, the discussions and debate will be guided by three panels. South Africa will chair the panel on "Technical Co-operation in support of Human Rights: Co-ordination and Co-operation between the different actors".
The outcome of the South African Symposium will be published in the form of a report and presented to the plenary of the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1998 in New York.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 25 NOVEMBER 1998