South Africa to host the African Diaspora Technical Committee of Experts Meeting scheduled for 21 and 22 February 2011

The Republic of South Africa, in collaboration with the African Union (AU) Commission, will host the African Diaspora Technical Committee of Experts Meeting (TCEM) on 21 and 22 February 2011. The meeting will be convened at the Conference Centre of the OR Tambo Building (Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s Head Quarters).

The Republic of South Africa has been seized with the African Diaspora Initiative. One of the highlights to this effect is the success of the African Diaspora conference it jointly organised with the AU in March 2005 in Kingston, Jamaica. This conference brought together Africans on the continent and representatives of the African Diaspora from the Caribbean and was held under the theme “Towards Unity and United Action by Africans and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean for a Better World: The Case of South Africa”.

It was therefore on the basis of the success of the Jamaica conference and its continued commitment to the African Diaspora Initiative that the African Union (AU) endorsed South Africa as the host of the 2008 Summit, which was later postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

The TCEM brings together experts from the continent and its Diaspora and marks the commencement of the implementation of the first key element of the AU/South Africa African Diaspora roadmap. The other two key elements, as presented by South Africa and endorsed by the AU, are the Ministerial meeting planned to take place in September 2011 followed by the Summit in 2012.

In this regard, the main objectives of the TCEM are, among others, to take stock of factors that might have arisen since the postponement of the 2008 Summit; and to review what the Ministerial and the Summit ought to achieve. The focus of the review will be, but not limited to, the Draft Summit Declaration, Minister’s Programme of Action and previous outcomes reports. Proposals for bankable projects will be made within the ambit of the previously agreed areas of cooperation namely, political, economic and social areas of cooperation.

More information, including documentation and the full list of participants, can be accessed from the African Diaspora web link on the DIRCO website by visiting www.dirco.gov.za.

Some of the high level luminaries and academia who will participate in the meeting include Ambassador Dudley Thompson, Dr. Mathole Motshekga, Dr Julius Garvey and Professor Kwesi Prah.

For further information please contact: Mr Clayson Monyela, DIRCO Spokesperson, on 082 806 7405.

Issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
OR Tambo Building
Private Bag X152
Pretoria

18 February 2011