President Mbeki to Address African Diaspora Ministerial Conference

Pretoria – South African President Thabo Mbeki will on Friday evening 16 November 2007 address the African Diaspora Ministerial Conference scheduled from 16-18 November at Gallagher Estates, Midrand. The Conference will be opened earlier in the day by South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Professor Alpha Konare, Chairperson of the Africa Union.

The Ministerial Conference was preceded by a senior officials meeting opened on Wednesday 14 November by Foreign Affairs Director-General Dr. Ayanda Ntsaluba.

The African Diaspora Ministerial Conference is part of build-up towards the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the AU and the African Diaspora scheduled to be held in South Africa in the first half of 2008.

The African Diaspora Ministerial Conference will bring together delegates from Africa, Latin America, North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and the Caribbean including a number of African foreign Ministers.

“The African Union has declared the African Diaspora as the 6th region of the African Union and connects Africa - the Mother Continent with all the Africans outside its borders. It symbolically defines what binds us together, who we are, what values we share, as well as to amass our collective strength and wisdom as Africans” says Minister Dlamini Zuma.

“There is an increasing global attention on the Africans in Diaspora as their influence not only in terms of skills but their financial impact is now being acknowledged as an alternative source of funding as part of the development of the continent” continued Minister Dlamini Zuma.

“The African Diaspora Ministerial Conference follows the African Union (AU) Diaspora Regional Consultative Conferences (RCCs) held in Latin America, United Kingdom, North America, Caribbean, Europe and Africa. The convening of the RCCs was predicated by the need for consultation with the African Diaspora in regions where they have a relatively high presence. This process allowed the AU to galvanise their views and recommendations in preparation for the Ministerial Conference being hosted by South Africa” said Minister Dlamini Zuma.

“The Ministerial Conference will consolidate these views and recommendations into a draft Programme of Action to be adopted by the Summit to be hosted in South Africa in 2008” said Minister Dlamini Zuma.

“In addition, the Conference aims to produce a framework, programme of action and draft Declaration that will be presented to the Heads of State Summit in 2008. The programme of action will include lobbing for support (financial and technical); coordination and ownership of the African Diaspora; and integration of programmes for vulnerable groups” concluded Minister Dlamini Zuma.

The 2008 African Diaspora Summit will aim to:

• Create sustainable partnerships between the African Diaspora and the African Continent through a realisable Programme of Action;
• Create sustainable dialogue, partnerships and strengthen Pan African solidarity for a better Africa and its Diaspora; and
• Promote South-South cooperation in the betterment of the African Continent and its Diaspora.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Media Programme for African Diaspora Ministerial Conference

For further information contact Manusha Pillai on 082 389 3587

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

15 November 2007