By Jacques Keet
Next week's Asia-Africa Summit in Bandung, Indonesia,
will see the launch a new strategic initiative by the two continents, Foreign
Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
said on Friday.
Speaking in the National Assembly during debate on her
budget vote, she said this would build on the spirit of solidarity of the first
summit 50 years ago in Bandung.
"South Africa,
like all other developing countries, is looking forward to having a common
position to ensure that the next round of the WTO (World Trade Organisation) negotiations must have a developmental
agenda.
"Next week, 50 years after the historic 1955
conference, African and Asian countries will retrace their steps to Bandung with the hope to strengthen
not only the political ties but the economic ties that will bring self-reliance
for sustainable development in Asia and Africa,"
Dlamini-Zuma said.
As a country committed to economic and social justice, South
Africa was firm in the view that the current path of globalisation
had to change, that the benefits of globalisation
could be expanded, and that the means and resources needed to create a better
world for all were at hand.
"We shall continue to ensure that greater effort is
given by all, especially by the developed countries of the North, to attain the
objectives, goals and programmes agreed to at the
Millennium Summit."
The attainment of the millennium development goals, the
implementation of the programmes that emerged from
the World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Related Intolerances, the
World Food Summit, the Financing for Development conference, and the World
Summit for Sustainable Development, were all central to the challenge of the
development of the countries of the South.
Nowhere more than in Africa had the
need for the mobilisation of resources to address the
developmental challenges facing the people been so stark.
"Again it is our assertion that without the necessary
resources to address developmental challenges, the issue of conflict
resolution, peace and stability will remain elusive."
Research had shown that where conflict resolution had taken
place without post-conflict reconstruction and development, such countries had
soon slid back into instability and conflict.
"We have to ensure that the people of DRC, Burundi,
Sudan, Cote
d'Ivoire, Liberia,
Comoros, Sierra
Leone and others do not suffer the same
fate."
Turning to the reform of the United Nations, Dlamini-Zuma said South
Africa had worked with other countries on
the continent to shape and determine the common African position in this
regard.
"Consequently, as an African country we shall pursue
Africa's goal to be fully represented in all decision-making organs of the UN,
particularly in the Security Council, which is the principal decision-making
organ of the UN in matters relating to international peace and security."
South Africa
would engage with the global community to ensure that Africa
had not less than two permanent seats with all the prerogatives and privileges
of permanent membership including the right of veto, and five non-permanent
seats.
"Even though Africa is opposed
in principle to the veto, it is of the view that so long as it exists, and as a
matter of common justice, it should be made available to all permanent members
of the Security Council," she said. - Sapa
4/20/05
Source: Independent
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