Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma is in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, for the 17th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly.
Scheduled to start on 30 June to 1 July 2011, under the theme "Accelerating youth empowerment for sustainable development," South Africa said its participation confirms its commitment to youth empowerment.
"The theme of the summit is of particular importance to South Africa, more so as it coincides with our Youth Month celebration, the month dedicated to youth development. It was exactly 35 years ago that on June 16th 1976, the young students in Soweto braved all odds to fight for equal and quality education for all.
"This theme is therefore consistent with South Africa's commitment to working towards advancing youth development," said the Presidency on Tuesday.
President Zuma, who is accompanied by several Cabinet ministers -- including the ministers of International Relations, Water and Environmental Affairs and State Security - will also participate in a meeting of the AU Nepad Heads of State Infrastructure subcommittee today.
Zuma is the champion of the North South Road and Rail Infrastructure Corridor, assisted by Minister in the Presidency for the National Planning Commission, Trevor Manuel.
With the run up to the COP17/CMP7, the South African delegation will also be involved in the Conference of Africa Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, which will take place in the margins of the summit.
The overall summit will touch on a wide range of issues such as promotion of peace and security in the continent; regional integration, development and cooperation; shared values; women as a resource for sustainable development; strengthening of institutions; accelerating youth empowerment; and issues relating to the African Diaspora.
