|
Minister Dlamini Zuma announces South Africa's participation
in the Global Solidarity Fund for Development Paris- Foreign Minister, Dr
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, currently leading a South African delegation to the two-day
Ministerial Conference on Innovative Funding Mechanism for Development in Paris,
France, 28 February - 01 March 2006, has announced that South Africa has become
the 22nd country to join the Global Solidarity Fund for Development.
Minister
Dlamini Zuma in her address to the conference hosted by President Jacques Chirac
of the French Republic, indicated that South Africa was considering utilizing
funds from the government pension scheme to finance development projects aimed
at accelerating the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Minister
Dlamini Zuma, further highlighted the following: - Commended the French,
Chilean and Brazilian governments for pioneering the Global Development Fund.
- Reminded
delegates to the conference of the importance that South Africa attaches to solidarity,
having been a beneficiary to International solidarity during the struggle against
apartheid.
- Cautioned against spending funds from the Global Solidarity
Levies only on treatment of diseases at the expense of the prevention thereof.
- Emphasised
that the contribution to the Global Solidarity Fund should not be interpreted
only as an act of charity to the poor but also an insurance for the rich, through
which their wealth can be secured and economic growth guaranteed.
Minister
Dlamini Zuma's announcement will serve to broaden international consensus on meeting
the MDGs and further upscale innovative funding mechanisms designed to effectively
address global challenges. There is growing consensus that developing countries
not only need more resources, but fundamentally, resources of better quality.
The implementation of innovative financing mechanisms would allow for the provision
of additional funding on a stable and predicable basis, which could be allocated
more effectively to long term programmes in a wide range of areas. By adding
its signature to the Global Solidarity Fund for Development, South Africa has
joined France, Brazil, Chile, Luxemburg, Norway, Cyprus, United Kingdom, South
Korea, India, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo Brazzaville, Germany, Madagascar, Mali,
Morocco, Mauritania, Namibia, Lebanon, Mauritius and Ivory Coast. Minister
Dlamini will return to South Africa on Friday, 3 March 2006. Issued by Ronnie
Mamoepa- 082 990 4853 C/O Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag
X152
Pretoria
0001
| 
