New York - South Africans will on Wednesday hear what President Jacob Zuma will tell the world about issues concerning South Africa and Africa when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during the high-level debate at the UN Headquarters, in New York.
More than 120 world leaders will participate in the debate on Wednesday in which three issues will invariably, feature prominently in much of the speeches.
The one issue is the post-2015 agenda and the question of what will happen to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which expire next year. There are proposals to replace the MDGs with what is being referred to as the new sustainable development goals which outline 17 goals and 169 targets. The MDGs have just eight goals and 21 targets.
Debates are also expected to include the perceived threats to global security posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria also known as ISIS and lastly the crisis in Ukraine which is linked to the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 aircraft in eastern Ukraine.
Each Head of State or Government will have 15 minutes to express their views on any matter. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and US President Barack Obama will also speak on Wednesday.
The debate’s opening was earlier scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed to accommodate the Climate Summit called by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.
The UNGA is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. Last week, the Presidency said South Africa’s participation at the UNGA will be informed by national interests and priorities, its regional and continental commitments, as well as its aspirations for a prosperous world at peace with itself.
The UN has used this year’s GA to rally governments and civil society behind its ambitious post-2015 development agenda and support for the proposed sustainable development goals.
President Zuma is accompanied to the meeting by several of his Cabinet ministers including ministers of Defence, International Relations and Cooperation, State Security, Social Development and Environmental Affairs.
On Monday, President Zuma had a private meeting with Ban at the latter’s offices.
Earlier this week, South Africa reiterated its calls for the transformation of the United Nations Security Council it said was still biased towards the west. The UNGA debate is expected to carry on over a few days. A meeting to discuss the Ebola crisis is scheduled for Friday. – SAnews.gov.za
