President Thabo Mbeki Lauds Outcomes of TICAD IV in Japan

YOKOHAMA- South African President Thabo Mbeki has lauded the outcomes of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development which concluded its deliberations of Friday 30 May in Yokohama, Japan.

President Mbeki, supported by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma led a South African Government delegation including Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, South Africa’s Ambassador to Japan Dr. Ben Ngubane and Foreign Affairs Deputy Director-General Ambassador Jerry Matjila to the 4th Session of Ticad to promote South Africa’s national interests within the framework of advancing the Consolidation of the African Agenda.

The Conference was organized around the theme “Towards a vibrant Africa: A continent of hope and opportunity” and addressed three main issues - Boosting Economic Growth

Ensuring Human Security (Achievement of MDG/Consolidation of Peace and Good Governance)

and Addressing Environmental issues/Climate Change

President Mbeki said “ I think that the Yokohama Programme of Action that has been agreed at Ministerial level, which will get formally adopted at the end of  the Summit, in fact covers all the major issues of concern to the African continent, whether you are talking issues of infrastructure, or agricultural development, or education, or health, issues of international trade, these issues that are very problematic at the World Trade Organisation ( WTO) it covers all of those things, and I think it is an important Programme of Action. I am saying, given that you are dealing here with the second largest economy in the world (Japan), the decisions that have been arrived at, as provided for in the Programme of Action, are very important and very relevant to what the African continent is trying to do for instance through NEPAD”.

“The second important point is that for the first time there has been an agreement to put in place a monitoring mechanism, jointly Japan and the African Union and NEPAD in particular, to look at what actually practically is being done to implement these agreements. I think that it is a very important step forward so that you do not end up with good decisions but with no follow - up mechanism. Japan will be hosting G8, and has undertaken that it will take the outcomes of this meeting TICAD 4 to the G8, in order also to push the rest of the G8, to act in a practical manner”, continued President Mbeki.

“ I was very glad indeed when Prime Minister Fukuda opened TICAD 4, because he not only confirmed Japan's commitment to these developmental challenges that face the continent , but actually announced specific sums of money that will be devoted to this commitment, whether you are talking infrastructure development, or agriculture, human resource development and so on, so the commitments that Japan has made are backed up with practical concrete resources, I think TICAD 4 has gone very well”, said President Mbeki.

 “I think we have got to insist still, that given all of the commitments that have been made over the years, by the G8 encapsulated in the G8 Africa Action Plan ,that the other G8 members, have got to respond in the manner that Japan has indicated, to say, well here is this whole variety of decisions that we took regarding NEPAD and there many, and good decisions, the question is the follow - up on the practical measures, that will then be taken, to ensure that these decisions are implemented” continued President Mbeki,

“ The meeting also paid attention to the matter of high food prices, what should be done with regards to that , and again not only Japan, but also other organizations that were here like the World Bank, like the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Food and Agricultural Organization, ( FAO) all of them committed themselves to providing additional funds to respond to the matter of  increasing agricultural production as well as short - term measures to deal with the issue of the high food prices, which are impacting very negatively particularly on poor people. We need to encourage the other G8 members to follow this example, so that indeed we don’t need any new NEPAD Programmes, what we need is practical action on the part of G8 to respond to the commitments they have made” concluded President Mbeki.

Minister Dlamini Zuma, who assumed the reigns of leadership of the South African delegation following the departure of President Mbeki to South Africa, concluded her official visit to Japan today, Friday 30 May by holding bilateral discussions with her Japanese and Comorian counterparts.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853

C/O South African Embassy-Japan
Department of Foreign Affairs

30 May 2008.