Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has arrived in the city of Lyon in France to co-chair the official launch of the United Nations High Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth (HLC HEEG), says the Presidency.
The official launch is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently established the HLC HEEG following the adoption of United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/183. He then invited President Zuma and French President Francois Hollande to co-chair the commission.
“This is not the first time that President Zuma has been appointed by the world body to undertake work on the global stage.
“President Zuma will also hold a bilateral meeting with President Hollande on the sidelines of the commission meeting,” said the Presidency.
The Commission's main objective is to propose measures that will contribute to global inclusive economic growth, the creation of decent jobs, the achievement of Universal Health Coverage, and also complement various global development efforts set out by the international community.
“The implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development forms the basis of the Commission's work. It also speaks to the implementation of the 2063 Agenda of the African Union and South Africa's own National Development Plan (NDP),” said the Presidency.
President Zuma is accompanied by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Public Service and Administration Deputy Minister Ayanda Dlodlo and the Director General of the Department of Health Precious Matsoso.
“Ms Matsoso, who is the current Chairperson of the World Health Organisation's Executive Board, has been appointed as the President's Sherpa for this process,” said the Presidency.
A second meeting of the high-level commission is envisaged to take place in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2016, after which the commission is expected to submit its report to the UN Secretary General.
The Presidency said a summary of the meeting will be made available to the public through the commission's website http://www.who.int/hrh/com-heeg/en/. - SAnews.gov.za
