Media Advisory

15 May 2019

DIRCO and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to host workshop in Pretoria

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), in partnership with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Government of the United Kingdom (UK), will on 16-18 May 2019 host a workshop on the ISA.

The objective of the event is to foster international and regional cooperation to promote the sustainable development of Africa’s deep seabed resources in support of the continent’s Blue Economy. It is also expected that the workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss capacity-building strategies that could help the African continent benefit fully from their Blue Economies.

The workshop is expected to bring together representatives from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which will include South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi. Two other African countries will also participate i.e. Liberia and São Tomé and Príncipe.

The representatives from the Department of Mineral Resources and other stakeholders in the mining sector are also expected to make presentations at the workshop.

Hosting this event will provide an opportunity for South Africa to showcase its innovative approaches and the different focus areas of Operation Phakisa.

The media are invited as follows:

Opening session

Date: 16 May 2019

Time: 08h00

Venue: DIRCO, Conference Room 1

RSVP: Kgopotso Rapakuana, RapakuanaK@dirco.gov.za, 073 058 3876

Enquiries: Mr Ndivhuwo Mabaya, mabayan@dirco.gov.za, 083 645 7838

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084