Address by Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe on the occasion of United Nations Day, Monday 25 October 2010, Pretoria. It is appropriate that we meet for UN day for the first time today in the OR Tambo building.  The building has been named after our esteemed leader and a great internationalist, Oliver Tambo.  President Zuma has called him “no ordinary man”.  It was to him that the organization gave the task of waging the struggle against apartheid outside of the country.  It was he who led that struggle internationally.  It was he who addressed the United Nations in October 1963 and said:

“Fears have been expressed, that if apartheid were destroyed, the lot of white people in South Africa would become a doubtful one.  We think it is right that the UN should concern itself with the welfare of all peoples, even groups of peoples.  The Charter states that every individual, whatever his colour, shall be protected from victimization on the basis of that colour.  We ourselves have been worried about the fact that in South Africa there is a group of people, or individuals, or a racial group, which have been subjected to torture and indignity because of the colour of their skins or their origins.  That is what we are fighting against.

We do not believe in violence; we do not think anybody believes in it.  We do not want it; nobody wants it.”

These words still have resonance with us in the 21st century and it is an appropriate tribute to his memory that we are now able to celebrate UN Day in the wonderful building bearing his name.

As I have done over the last few years, it is once again for me a personal privilege and pleasure to host this reception to commemorate the occasion of "UN Day." Today, we commemorate the 65th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.  Established on 24 October 1945, the name “United Nations”, first coined all those years ago by then United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, has become synonymous with multilateralism, the international system and global governance. The UN was established with the aim of stabilizing international relations and to give peace a more secure, global foundation.  Despite the inevitable ongoing global challenges being faced by humankind, the UN system has achieved a remarkable degree of success in so many important areas. Among these successes that have left a lasting legacy, are: maintaining peace and security; helping to prevent nuclear proliferation; helping to provide humanitarian aid to refugees and other victims of conflict; promoting democracy, development and human rights, especially the rights of women, children and other vulnerable groups, protecting the environment; and generating and maintaining worldwide commitment in support of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) the goals that underpin our collective vision of a development strategy for a better, more prosperous and secure, future.

From our perspective as Government, another significant success of the UN system has been the priority afforded to the promotion of development in Africa. The promotion of the African agenda, through international support for African economic recovery and development, as we all know, underpins South Africa’s foreign policy. Not least, of course, one of the most resounding lasting legacies of the UN system in modern memory must be its significant contribution towards South Africa’s historic transition to independence and democracy through the ending of apartheid, which the General Assembly called "a crime against humanity".

A strong and an effective UN remains absolutely central to our strategic vision of a better quality of life for all –world through an equitable, democratic and just international order.

In a demonstration of the effect that another extraordinary South African has had on the lives of others, the UN General Assembly last year, during its 64th session, designated 18 July as "Nelson Mandela International Day", on the occasion of his birthday, to recognize the huge contribution made by our global citizen and Nobel Peace Prize laureate to resolving conflicts and promoting race relations, human rights and reconciliation. Beginning this year, thanks to the overwhelming endorsement of the Member States of the UN, people from all nations across the world came together for the first time to give 67 minutes or more of their time in community service, their actions inspired by the life's work of South Africa’s own symbol of hope. In the true spirit of this enduring legacy "Nelson Mandela International Day" will be commemorated every year through the selfless actions of people seeking to make a difference in the lives of others.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends, allow me to touch briefly on some of the successes achieved by the UN system that I mentioned earlier, and explore some of the ways in which the UN is making a real difference in the lives of all of us, and that in the end, the lasting legacy of the UN is our collective legacy, as Member States of the Organization: 

The first is in: Recognizing Women around the world:

Every year in South Africa we recognize women’s liberation by marking August as the National Women’s month, where Women of yesterday are applauded for their contribution to South Africa’s liberation. These are the women whose commitment to equality paves the way for women of the future to run, with pride.  The UN supports not only South Africa’s efforts, but the global efforts of liberating women, by hosting the UN International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on the 8th of March each year. 

South Africa applauds the UN and Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for his vision in initiating the UNiTE Campaign, which is aimed at ending violence against women. The UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls in all parts of the world.  UNiTE brings together a host of UN agencies and offices to galvanize action across the UN system to prevent and punish violence against women.  Through UNiTE, the UN is joining forces with individuals, civil society and governments to put an end to violence against women in all its forms.  UNiTE is the stuff of which lasting legacies are made.

The other area of important work is Climate change:

Climate change is a global challenge requiring a global solution. It is now a matter of history that the hopes for reaching a global, binding agreement at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Copenhagen did not materialize.

Nevertheless, a number of countries, including South Africa, did agree to an Accord, which was not formally adopted by the COP, but noted.  South Africa is of the view that the Copenhagen Accord could strengthen the political resolve to reach a formal agreement under the UNFCCC, but should by no means be a substitute for a multilateral legally binding outcome that follows the two tracks agreed to in Bali. Climate Change is an acute global problem, and the UN forum provides the best means to effectively solve the problem and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.  South Africa joins with other Member States to ensure that climate change remains at the top of the UN agenda.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon recently launched a High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability, with the task of finding ways to eradicate poverty while tackling climate change and ensuring environmentally-friendly economic development. The Panel will comprise 21 representatives from government, the private sector and civil society, and will be Co-chaired by Finland’s President Tarja Halonen and South African President Jacob Zuma.

South Africa believes that the three accepted pillars of Sustainable Development: economic development, social development, and environmental protection, respectively, must receive equal attention – no one pillar should be over-emphasized at the expense of the others. Our vision for the Panel is that it should have an explicit focus on making global governance more efficient as it relates to the challenges of the environment, trade and global finance issues. The High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability is the stuff of which lasting legacies are made.

On the Humanitarian side:

The UN continues to provide humanitarian aid to victims of conflict and catastrophe. We recall that 12 January 2010 marked a catastrophic day for Haiti when a massive earthquake claimed the lives of more than    200,000 Haitians, leaving one million more virtually destitute and homeless. The impact and consequences of this earthquake reverberated with South Africans, who have responded with generosity by offering material assistance to support efforts to help Haiti; in search and rescue missions; through cash contributions and in the outpouring of sympathy and empathy for the citizens of Haiti.

During the International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti, as organized by the UN in March this year, South Africa made her pledge towards the rebuilding of Haiti.  We will continue our support for humanitarian assistance, within our limited means, as we have done since we became a democracy 16 year ago. South Africa proudly supports the tireless efforts of the UN to bring humanitarian aid to the citizens of Haiti; such a legacy requires us all to play a part, no matter how large or small.

On Education:

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup President Jacob Zuma launched the 1Goal Education for All Campaign initiative to draw attention to the MDGs and in particular the critical importance of education.  1Goal was launched at a political Summit in the midst of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, here in South Africa.  If ever a sporting event captured the imagination of the world, this was it! If ever a political Summit has fired the imaginations of world leaders, this was it! In the words of President Zuma at the launch:

“We convened this Summit because of our strongly held view that the first Soccer World Cup tournament on African soil should have a lasting legacy. The most important investment in the future of any nation is in education. No legacy could be higher than that”.

We wish to see a lasting legacy of education for the African continent. Supported by the UN, among others, the 1Goal initiative aims to enhance two of the eight MDGs contributing to ending poverty through education, namely: to ensure that all boys and girls complete primary schooling by 2015 and to ensure that girls have the opportunity for education at all levels by 2015. We wish to ensure that every child is in school by the next FIFA World Cup tournament in 2014 when it will be hosted by Brazil.

Ladies and Gentlemen, South Africa is delighted that we will once again take up a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. South Africa’s re-election to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member accords us the privilege and honour of serving the rest of the continent and the international community in the search for the lasting legacy of international peace and security.

South Africa will continue to advocate for the reform of the UN, and especially the Security Council. This remains an important priority in South Africa’s foreign policy. The UN and its organs should fulfil its obligations that are contained in its mandate, the Charter.  It is clear that no transformation of the United Nations can be complete without the fundamental reform of the Security Council. The objective of such reform should be the creation of a Security Council that is truly representative of the membership of the Organization and effectively responsive to international crises. It is a not democratic nor is it sustainable in the long term that member states from the African continent, which constitutes a large portion of the work of the Council, are not represented in the permanent category. We will therefore strive to promote and further strengthen effective partnerships between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations, in particular the African Union Peace and Security Council. South Africa will continue to prioritize issues affecting women and children, who are the most vulnerable groups in areas of conflict. During our tenure, we will continue to push for improvements in the working methods of the Council.

In his Report to the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2010, entitled "Pulling Together in Testing Times: Securing a Better Future for All" Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had the following to say:

“Together, over the past three years, we embraced an ambitious agenda, framed by three over-arching ideas for our time. A more prosperous world, free of the deepest poverty. A cleaner, greener and more sustainable world for our children. A safer world, free of nuclear weapons. Those are the great challenges of our era. They are not dreams. They are opportunities, within our power to grasp. Together, we have made progress. We will press ahead - with fresh thinking, fresh approaches, a strong sense of leadership and political will.”

In conclusion, friends, be assured that South Africa will continue to strive to ensure that the UN fulfils its mandate, in the form of a strong and effective multilateral organization, enjoying the confidence of the peoples of the world, and capable of addressing the matters that are of primary concern to all humanity. As we commemorate UN Day, let us re-affirm our commitment, more than ever before, to work together to focus on the kind of collective lasting legacy for Member States of the UN – one that translates challenges into opportunities and dreams into reality.

A toast to the United Nations

Friends of the UN, on behalf of the South African Government, I wish to congratulate the UN Country Team and the UN Regional Directors Team on their contribution to South Africa and to the region. I am proud to invite you to join me in raising your glasses to pay special tribute to the lasting legacy, the work and accomplishments of the UN. In commemorating UN Day today, we join once more with many nations around the world in recognizing the significant achievements of the Organization and the professional international civil servants who serve in it.  I give you the United Nations!

Thank you.