The Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, is in the United States for a series of meetings relating to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
The Speaker is scheduled to attend a wide range of meetings and also to address sessions relating to the global fight against tuberculosis (TB).
The sessions include the Africa side event, organised by the African Union and NEPAD, titled ‘United to End Tuberculosis in Africa: A Continental Response’, and the TB Communities and Celebrities organised by Stop TB.
Earlier this month, Parliament launched the South African Chapter of the Global TB Caucus of Parliamentarians.
TB is the leading cause of death in South Africa. A South African Chapter of the Global TB Caucus was necessary to raise awareness and support efforts to accelerate the elimination of the disease by 2030.
This is in line with targets set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The caucus provides a platform for Members of Parliament and of Legislatures to champion treatment for TB in their constituencies and drive political action to end the disease.
Mbete is expected to attend the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, a high-level plenary meeting convened by the President of the General Assembly, Maria Espinosa, in honour of the centenary birthday of the first democratically elected President of South Africa.
Ahead of the start of UN General Assembly, President Cyril Ramaphosa and other leaders will unveil a statue of President Nelson Mandela at the United Nations headquarters, an unprecedented honour bestowed on the leader.
The 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, which is underway until Thursday, is being held under the theme ‘Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful equitable and sustainable societies’. – SAnews.gov.za