President Thabo Mbeki to lead South African Delegation to TICAD IV

Pretoria – South African President Thabo Mbeki, supported by Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will today Monday 26 May 2008 depart for Yokohama, Japan where he is expected to lead a senior South African government delegation to the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) scheduled from Wednesday – Friday 28-30 May 2008.

President Thabo Mbeki, whose delegation will also include Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Marthinus van Schalkwyk, will attend TICAD IV, held under the banner of “Towards a Vibrant Africa: A Continent of Hope and Opportunity,” within the context of South Africa’s priority to consolidate relations with Japan with a view strengthening North-South relations.  In this regard, TICAD IV provides a valuable opportunity to promote the African Agenda as a priority with Japan and its development partners.

TICAD aims to consolidate peace, human centred development and poverty reduction through economic development through:

• Boosting Growth (Poverty Reduction through Economic Growth);
• Achieving the Millennium Development Goals;
• Consolidation of Peace and Democratisation; and
• Addressing Environmental Issues/Climate Change

It is expected that a Joint Committee for Monitoring TICAD Process, comprising of the African Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African countries and other relevant Japanese organisations (Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), will be established as a follow-up mechanism to TICAD IV.

This Committee, which would be expected to meet bi-annually, would report on the progress in the TICAD process and consult on the TICAD process.

The TICAD IV Summit is also expected to adopt the Yokohama Declaration and the Yokohama Plan of Action on conclusion of the Summit.

Japan will take the eventual outcomes of TICAD IV to the G8 Summit that it will host in Hokkaido, Japan in July this year.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

26 May 2008