Secretary General, it’s a great pleasure to welcome you to South Africa once more.
You are not a stranger to our beautiful country and its people.
And I can say with pride that you are most welcome here; you will always be welcomed with open arms.
This is where we remain rooted in the spirit of ubuntu despite our challenges and difficulties. In our language, we explain Ubuntu by saying umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. Loosely translated, it means I am because you are.
This is ultimately what drives our outlook to the world.
Our region SADC is relatively peaceful. We’ve had peaceful elections here in South Africa, Namibia, Mauritius, and Botswana, marked by a graceful acceptance of the election’s outcomes by the ruling parties, these augers well for democracy.
However, the security challenges in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in Mozambique remain an issue of concern. In the eastern DRC many civilians, especially women and children have been displaced due to the conflict, and their cries for peace have fallen on deaf ears. We continue to support initiatives to find a political solution.
Similarly, there is a need for calm and restrain in Mozambique, following the post elections violent protests. We continue to call for all the parties to await the outcomes of the Constitutional Council of Mozambique which is an institution empowered by the constitution of Mozambique to adjudicate elections disputes.
Secretary-General, the people of Sudan are reeling from the scars of a devastating conflict. The humanitarian crisis is like no other we have ever seen.
The Middle East has become increasingly fragile and volatile. As our very own Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, stated, the Israeli leadership’s promise last year to destroy Gaza is being fulfilled. “The Strip now is a wasteland of rubble and human remains,” where survivors struggle to hold on to life, and bodies are decomposing in the ruins of what used to be clinics and hospitals. What we are witnessing may extend beyond genocide. We must not take our eyes of Gaza.
South Africa notes the latest developments in Syria and hopes that this will allow the Syrian people to focus on finding sustainable and long-lasting peace.
The Syrian crisis, which began as part of the political wave referred to as the Arab Spring almost fifteen years ago, has resulted in a tremendous loss of life, a grave humanitarian crisis and internal and international displacement. This crisis was compounded by a lack of consensus on the part of the international community on how to resolve it best and external involvement that further complicated the quest for peace.
We hope that the UN Security Council, which has been divided on this matter, will honour its responsibilities and work towards the peaceful resolution of the Syrian crisis, which, if left unresolved, could further plunge the whole Middle East region further into political and economic chaos.
This moment presents itself at a time when the region is extremely fragile, and the carnage in Gaza continues unabated despite a plethora of efforts to stop it.
The Syrian conflict has gone on for far too long, and now is the time for the international community to exert its collective effort to bring about peace to that country as soon as possible. In this regard, South Africa supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, through his Special Envoy, Mr Geir O. Pederson, to work towards an “orderly transition”.
South Africa welcomes Ms Najat Rochdi, the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, convening the Humanitarian Task Force in Geneva and calling for unimpeded humanitarian access and “urging stakeholders and member states with leverage to prioritise the protection of civilians, safeguard critical infrastructure, and ensure that Syrian institutions continue to function within the framework of international law.”
South Africa calls on other countries to avoid exploiting the current situation for their narrow geopolitical interests. In particular, Israel must refrain from its attacks on Syria and allow the Syrian people the space and opportunity to extricate themselves from the current situation.
Finally, South Africa re-emphasises that there can be no military solution to the Syrian crisis. South Africa reiterates that Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity must be respected in terms of international law and the UN Charter. We hope that the Syrian people will soon begin an inclusive and Syrian-led dialogue that will lead to a peaceful transition and pave the way for a sustainable political solution reflective of the will of the people of Syria.
G20:
Secretary-General, I’m glad that you had an opportunity to engage with the G20 Sherpas at the early stages of our G20 Presidency, this will help shape our agenda and priorities for the rest of the year.
We hope that, through our G20 Presidency, we can move closer to a world where sustainability, equality, and solidarity guide our efforts to address the most pressing challenges facing the globe.
Our priority actions for South Africa will be streamlined across all working groups and include:
- Strengthen disaster resilience and response.
- Ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries
- Mobilise finance for a just energy transition
- Harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development.
Alongside these priority actions, we have identified five high-level deliverables, which include three task forces and two initiatives.
High-Level Deliverables:
Task Force 1 – Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment and Reduced Inequality
Task Force 2 – Food Security
Task Force 3 – Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance and Innovation for Sustainable Development
A review of the G20’s work, “The G20 at 20 years”: A Reflection on Key Achievements and the Way Forward, will also be one of South Africa’s deliverables through a Sherpa Track Initiative.
South Africa also proposes the establishment of a Cost of Capital Commission during its G20 Presidency. This Commission will deliver a comprehensive expert review on the issues impacting the cost of capital for developing economies which could help address future debt sustainability issues and the related fiscal space challenges.
We are grateful for your visit and the opportunity to engage with you about our G20 presidency and pressing geo-political issues on the continent and beyond. It is hope that through our G20 Presidency our Sustainable Development Goals and our Pact for the Future can be given real life and implemented.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
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