The minutes of the annual consultations on development cooperation between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway were signed in Pretoria today.
The South African delegation was headed by Mr Shaheed Rajie, Chief Director, International Development Cooperation, Department of Finance. The Norwegian delegation was headed by Mr Kjell Stolokken, Deputy Director General of NORAD.
The Departments of Finance; Foreign Affairs; Education; Environment and Tourism; Housing; Trade and Industry; Labour; Minerals and Energy; Constitutional Development; as well as the Central Statistical Services; the Mpumalanga Provincial Government and the Mpumalanga Department of Education participated in the meeting.
The consultations reviewed the Norwegian development cooperation over the past year and the basis laid down by the Declaration of Intent which was signed during the State Visit of President Mandela to Norway on 17 March 1999.
The Declaration of Intent made provision for the strengthening of the existing bilateral consultations between South Africa and Norway. This recognises the unique partnership which exists between the two countries and their common goals of internationally promoting human rights and human security, democratisation and the rule of law as well as the right to economic development and the just distribution of wealth.
The Declaration of Intent also laid out the framework of Norwegian-South African development cooperation for the period 2000 - 2004. The overall objectives of this development cooperation are to assist in securing peace and democracy in South Africa and the region. Norway has made available NOK 400 million to fund this programme.
The consultations concentrated on strategic discussions on how the programme would be implemented over the next two years in the five sectors which have been identified i.e:
- peace, democracy and human rights;
- environment;
- economic development;
- social development;
- culture.
These sectors have been identified based on the very successful development development cooperation from 1995 to 1999 during which approximately NOK 640 million (R500 million) was disbursed.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA
10 JUNE 1999