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Minister Dlamini Zuma arrives in Jamaica ahead of the SA-AU
Caribbean Diaspora Conference Kingston - South African Foreign Minister,
Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma arrived in Kingston on Tuesday 15 March 2005, where
she will lead a South African delegation to the South Africa-African Union - Caribbean
Diaspora Conference scheduled for Wednesday - Friday 16-18 March 2005. Minister
Dlamini Zuma's delegation includes Minister Dr. Pallo Jordan, Speaker of the National
Assembly, Ms. Baleka Mbete, academics, business leaders, cultural organizations
and civil society. Prime Minister of Jamaica, PJ Paterson will deliver the
Opening address, with Minister Dlamini Zuma delivering an opening and closing
statements to Conference together with her Jamaican counterpart Minister Knight.
Minister Pallo Jordan will deliver a paper on Pan Africanism revisited while the
Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms. Baleka Mbete will participate in a panel
discussion on Knowing Sharing. Other South Africans of note who are scheduled
to participate in panel discussions include Thami Mazwai, Christine Qunta, Dr.
Eddie Maloka, Nomboniso Gasa, Prof. Bernard Magubane and Thami Sokutu. The
Conference is jointly organized by the South African Government, the Jamaican
Government and the African Union, under the theme "Towards Unity and United
Action by Africans and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean for a Better World".
Over 250 participants are expected to attend the Conference, whose objectives
are: - Creating linkages between Africa and the Diaspora while initiating
dialogue on common challenges.
- Strengthening partnerships and co-operation
between the peoples of the two regions.
· Establishment of mechanisms
for building stronger political and economic relations between Africa and the
Caribbean. - Identification of new opportunities for future collaboration
that can be of mutual benefit in the political, economic and socio-cultural spheres.
- Development
of a common agenda for confronting common problems that afflict Africa and the
Caribbean.
- And to give concrete meaning to decisions of the African Union
on the African Diaspora.
In this regard, it is hoped that the Conference
will emerge with the following outcomes: - Concrete proposals on economic
and trade links in specific areas and embarking on collaborative programmes on
common areas of interests;
- Commitment to solidarity and mutual support
in international for a;
- The institutionalisation of the Africa-Caribbean
co-operation and collaboration among government and civil society; and
- The
development of a common agenda for collaboration with the view to furthering the
objectives of the African Union.
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at +27 82-990-4853
South African High Commission, Kingston, Jamaica 15 March 2005
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