Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has arrived in New York for the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA68).
The 2013 theme is ‘Setting the stage for the post 2015 agenda’.
UNGA68 is taking place closer to the 2015 target date for achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Given the approaching deadline, international deliberations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda have become a major focal point in the multilateral arena.
The President will also participate in a meeting of the regional oversight mechanism on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) before addressing the General Assembly on Tuesday on the progress made by South Africa in the roll out of the MDGs.
South Africa has achieved some of the goals, for example, access to primary education where the country stands at 99 percent.
"What is more impressive with the achievement of this target is that the proportion of girls attending primary, secondary and tertiary education has improved significantly.
“The attainment of the MDG target on education is significant for a number of reasons. Education is central to development and can serve as a catalyst to address gender disparities.
“Moreover, education is the primary vehicle by which vulnerable children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate meaningfully in the economy,” said President Zuma.
South Africa is also making progress in the attainment of other MDGs as well, for example through the advancement of women.
On the improvement of health access, South Africa has also recorded impressive progress through the expansion of health infrastructure and improved access to health services for all South Africans.
Progress has been seen in the reduction of both maternal and child mortality in the past three years.
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV, for instance, used to be 8.5% in 2008. It went down to 3.5% in 2010 and even further down to 2.7% in 2011.
However, in all these areas a lot still needs to be done, the Presidency says.
“Work continues to further improve the delivery of services. South Africa will continue pursuing the implementation of the MDGs through the overarching National Development Plan and the New Growth Path, the Provincial Growth and Development Plans in the provinces as well as the Integrated Development Plans at the level of local government.”
President Zuma is also likely expected to highlight the urgent need for reforming the UN, particularly the Security Council, which has been hamstrung by a complicated multilateral process that has failed to produce a consensus agreement on the way forward.
Zuma is accompanied by Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini. - SAnews.gov.za
