9 April 2000
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma opened the XIII Ministerial Conference of the non-aligned Movement (NAM) in Cartagena, Colombia on 08 April 2000 in her capacity as the Chairperson. Accompanying the Minister are: the Director General, Mr Sipho Pityana, the Deputy Director General for Multilateral Affairs, Mr Abdul Minty, the South African Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Dumisani Khumalo, the South African Ambassador to Venezuela, Mrs Thandi Luthuli-Gcabashe and the Chief Director of International Affairs in the Presidency, Ms Thembi Majola.
Minister Dlamini-Zuma in her opening remarks, conveyed the greetings and good wishes from the President of the Republic of South Africa and the Chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement, President Thabo Mbeki, to President Andres Pastrana, the President of the Republic of Colombia and the Delegates in their deliberations. Minister Dlamini-Zuma in her opening remarks said that "there can be no doubt that we find ourselves, as the developing countries, at an important phase in the history of humankind. A phase marked by the onset of a new century and the dawning of a new millennium. It provides a critical juncture and a unique opportunity to take stock of the failures and successes of humanity."
Minister, further said that "as this new era unfolds with its complexities, we have a particular responsibility. Indeed we have an obligation to ensure that we continue to make the Movement more effective as an instrument to deliver on our hopes, ideals and commitments, it is our hope that, through our deliberations in the next two days, we shall take advantage of all opportunities before us, to ensure that our objectives are realised."
Minister Dlamini-Zuma then proposed that, according to tradition the Foreign Minister of the host country should chair the Conference, and that Minister Guillermo Fernandez de Soto of Colombia be elected the chair of the XIII NAM Ministerial Conference.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kieran Prendergast conveyed a message of support to the president of Colombia in his efforts of finding a peaceful solution to the political problems facing the country by negotiating with the guerrilla groups. President Andres Pastrana of the Republic of Colombia made an opening speech in which he encouraged the conference to review the achievements of the Movement and to deploy the collective will before the challenges of the future. He pointed out that "the historic imperative facing NAM is to foster an international order whose essential foundation is democratic participation in all states in taking decisions on the basic items of the global agenda."
After the opening remarks and speeches, the report of the chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement was tabled for discussion by Ambassador Dumisani Khumalo. The Conference established two committees respectively, the Political Committee in which the review of the International political situation since the XII Non-Aligned Movement Heads of State or Government Conference on 2-3 September, 1998, in Durban South Africa. The issues which were discussed in this committee, were among others, the role of the Non-Aligned Movement and the forth-coming Millennium Summit of the United Nations in which the role of the UN in the 21st Century will be under focus, i.e, the strengthening, restructuring, revitalising and democratising the UN which would be based on the NAM's influence of the character and make-up of the UN by making it more democratic and transparent, and this would be part and parcel of the overall reforms facing the UN, including the Security Council.
The Peace Keeping activities: the greater consistency in the deployment operation, new challenges facing the peace keeping operations and the proliferation and illicit trading in small arms. The issues under focus in the Economic and Social Committee were, among others, the globalisation and interdependence: impact on the developing countries and finding ways mitigating the negative impact, revatilising the international cooperation in order to increase the development aid to the developing countries, making the international trade fair and accessible to projects for development of the underdeveloped countries, the financial, investment and monetary issues and the debt cancellation, poverty eradication through sustained and accelerated economic growth and generation of full employment. The situation of children: child labour, child abuse and sex slavery.
Minister Dlamini-Zuma also held bi-laterals with other ministers from different countries which included Belarus, India, Norway among others. In these bi-laterals, issues of mutual concern and common interest were discussed. The Minister leaves Cartagena today evening after the closure of the conference and proceeds to Havana, Cuba where she will be attending the South Summit which starts on 10-15 April 2000
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
PRIVATE BAG X152
Pretoria
9 April 2000