Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
10 June 2002
President Thabo Mbeki and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, arrive in Rome, today, Sunday 9th June 2002 ahead of the World Food Summit and the NEPAD Implementation Committee Meeting from 10-13 June 2002.
The President's delegation includes the Minister of Land Affairs and Agriculture, Thoko Didiza and the President's Economic Advisor Prof. Wiseman Nkhuhlu.
The World Food Summit could not have been scheduled for a better time given the current food crisis around the world in general and the SADC region in particular.
In this context, President Mbeki is expected to deliver a keynote address to delegates at the Food Summit on Monday 10 June. The Summit will focus on reviewing advances made since the 1996 World Food Summit; outlining measures that leaders now envisage to reach the 1996 targets as well as the mobilisation of the requisite political will and resources to move forward at an accelerated pace to achieve the 1996 targets.
Accordingly, South Africa is expected to:
a. report on the progress made in respect of the1996 World Summit plan of action
b. projection of NEPAD as a framework to alleviate among others food security in Africa
c. provide an assessment and a way forward out of the current food situation in SADC.
On Tuesday, the President will interact with other heads of state from the five OAU regions at the NEPAD Implementation Committee Meeting chaired by President Olusegun Obasanjo, in preparation for the forthcoming G8 meeting scheduled for Canada on 27 June.
The SADC region will be represented in the Implementation Committee Meeting by SA, Botswana and Mozambique. They will be joined by Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. The Chair of the OAU, Zambia, will also attend including representatives.
For further information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at + 27 -82- 990-4853.