October 2008 dfa NowYour voice to be heard 3RD IBSA FORUM SUMMIT From left to right: Brazilian President, Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and South African President, Kgalema Motlanthe. Editorial Note Multilateral Relations 3rd IBSA DEAR COLLEAGUES, The dfa Now is an internal newsletter of the N THIS EDITION of the dfa Now we lead with an article Department of Foreign Affairs published by the Forum about the 3rd IBSA Summit that successfully took place in Directorate: New Delhi, India and was attended by President Kgalema Content Development. Summit Motlanthe, supported by Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and other Government Ministers. We also have the media brief- Editor-in-Chief: Ronnie Mamoepa ing by our Director-General Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba and the Minis- Editor: Paseka Mokhethea From left to right: Indian terial Imbizo in Kwazulu-Natal lead by our Minister. Minister of External Affairs, Compilation, Sub-Editing & Proofreading: Mr Pranab Mukherjee, In addition we included an insert that was taken from the Elion Von Wielligh & Annelie Kirstein Brazilian Minister of publication Destination the Future featuring career opportuni- External Relations, Mr ties within the Department and highlighting the positives of pur- Design and Layout: Celso Amorim together suing a career within the Foreign Service. Shaune van Wyk, Zimele Ngxongo & Kedibone Phiri with the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Furthermore, we report back on the DFA Family and Sports Pictures: Jacoline Prinsloo, Sanjay Singh & Unathi Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Day, hosted by the EWC, and the International Fair that was Ngamntwini Zuma in a traditional trio held in Bulgaria and our Mission’s participation therein. handshake pose, at the 3rd In our View of the World series this month we have a The views expressed in this newsletter do not IBSA Forum Summit held necessarily reflect those of the DFA or the editors. in New Delhi, India, glimpse of life from our mission in Hanoi, Vietnam. 15 October 2008. We hope that you will find this an interesting read. Please The deadline for contributions is 30 November 2008. note that we rely on your contributions to enhance the reading Contributions may be sent to cbe000 or experience of this publication. Thus please continue to send [email protected] your inputs to the editor before the deadline each month. HE 3RD IBSA FORUM SUM- has 16 Sectoral Working Groups. the interests of developing countries, All enquiries: Paseka @ Tel: (012) 351-1569 MIT, a one-day Summit of The Summit was preceded by sev- enhancing cooperation in sectoral ar- Happy reading! Fax: (012) 342-1192 Tthree of the world’s develop- eral people-to-people fora meetings eas and improving their economic ties. ing countries, took place in New Delhi, in the areas of business, editors and The Summit Declaration covered a India on 15 October 2008. The South women affairs. A large part of the South range of areas including global issues; African President, Mr Kgalema Mot- African business delegation comprising regional issues; IBSA sectoral coop- lanthe, supported by Minister of For- of leading South African companies, at- eration; and the IBSA Facility Fund for Government Activities eign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini tended the fora meetings. The Parlia- Poverty Alleviation and Hunger. Zuma attended the Summit. This was mentary Forum could not meet due to During the Summit, the following the President’s first official visit abroad technical problems. Agreements/MOUs were signed: Minister Dr Dlamini Zuma hosts a Government Imbizo in his capacity as Head of State. The During the first Session, people-to- • Tripartite Agreement on Tourism; HE MINISTER OF FOREIGN Indian Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan people fora were given an opportunity • MoU on Trade Facilitation for AFFAIRS Dr Dlamini Zuma Bulwer – KwaZulu-Natal Singh, and President Lula da Silva of to report to the Heads of State/Gov- Standards, Technical Regulations Thosted a government Im- Brazil also attended the occasion. ernment on progress achieved thus and Conformity Assessment; bizo at the Nkumba Primary School Besides the support of the Minister far. This Session was open to all del- • MoU on Environment; grounds in Bulwer, KwaZulu-Natal on of Foreign Affairs, President Motlanthe’s egates. However, the second Session • MoU on Human Settlements 28 October 2008. delegation included the following Min- was for Government business only. Development; ENGAGING WITH The Imbizo in Bulwer was part of a THE PEOPLE: isters: Ms Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, The three leaders addressed the • Five-Year Action Plan for Maritime week-long initiative by the South African Minister of Mr Mandisi Mpahlwa, Mr Mosibudi Summit on three different topics. Presi- Transport; Government to report back to commu- Foreign Affairs, Mangena, Ms Bulelwa Sonjica and Ms dent Motlanthe addressed the Sum- • Five-Year Action Plan for Civil Dr Nkosazana nities across the country about efforts Dlamini Zuma Lindiwe Sisulu from the Presidency mit on Connectivity through Transport; Aviation; and aimed at improving the lives of ordinary introduced to one and Departments of Trade and Indus- President Lula da Silva on Energy Se- • MoU on Women’s Development South Africans for the better. In this re- of the community try, Science and Technology, Minerals curity; and Prime Minister Manmohan and Gender Equality Programmes. gard, the Imbizo in Bulwer was report- members from and Energy and Housing respectively. Singh addressed the Summit on Food In its five years of existence, IBSA Bulwer, KwaZulu- ing back on a wide range of service Natal during an During the month of September Security. has not only led to closer trilateral co- delivery oriented issues that had been Imbizo held here, 2008, 12 meetings of Sectoral Working At the end of the Summit, the Delhi operation between the three involved raised with Minister Dlamini Zuma by 28 October 2008.e Groups took place in New Delhi with the Declaration was adopted. The leaders countries it has also made the three the community on 11 August 2008. pictures of the view of working towards the implemen- reaffirmed their commitment to further a driving force in championing the Imbizo are on the agenda of the developing countries, In attendance at the Imbizo with the back cover. tation of joint action plans, agreements, strengthen the trilateral co-operation Minister were the Chinese Ambassador and other trilateral initiatives as agreed and reaffirmed that the Forum is an especially on World Trade Organisa- to South Africa, Ambassador Zhong community a cheque of R120 000 to ment work, the Imbizo also provided during the 2nd Summit held in South important mechanism for closer co-or- tion (WTO) negotiations. At the sectoral Jianhua, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Ag- assist in buying a water pump for irriga- a platform for further issues around Africa in October 2007. IBSA thus far dination on global issues, for promoting ... Continue on pg 4 riculture Mtholephi Mthimkhulu, Local tion. The community has been without a service delivery to be raised with the Traditional Authority, the Mayor and water pump for a number of years which government delegation. The various representatives of the Department of impacted negatively on the ability of the Government representatives formed Trade and Industry. community to access sufficient water part of the delegation addressed a va- As a response to the need for ag- supplies in the area. riety of issues that were raised and un- ricultural development, Ambassador While the initiative was to report dertook to follow-up on the new ones Zhong Jianhua donated to the Bulwer back to the community about govern- that came up. w 2 DFA Now • October 2008 DFA Now • October 2008 3 Multilateral Relations Departmental Activities ... Continue from pg 3 co-operation level, progress has Laos; Burundi; Cape Verde; and been registered with the exception Palestine. of the Health and Defence Work- The signing of the Five-Year ing Group. Action Plan for Maritime Transport Another important instrument and Civil Aviation might bare some to advance the agenda of the significant results in future. These developing countries is the IBSA action plans would definitely bring Facility Fund for Poverty Alle- the people from the three countries viation and Hunger. This Facility closer and, by implication, increase Fund provides practical support business activism and tourism. To to developing countries. Thus far, this end, the trilateral trade target of two projects have already been US$25 billion set by the three lead- implemented in Haiti and Guinea ers to be achieved by 2015 would be Bissau. The Haiti project, which realised. his event was part of EWC’s relates to the solid waste man- The Summit was a resounding annual Wellness Days pro- DFA Family and Sport Day agement project, was completed success and the objectives of the Tgramme. Annually and as part and the project in Guinea Bissau IBSA Summit were met. Brazil of- of its health promotion programme, 25 October 2008 relates to capacity building in the fered to host the 4th IBSA Summit on EWC holds wellness days to promote field of agricultural. Other proj- 8 October 2009. Brazil immediately individual wellbeing and afford DFA The Employee Wellness Centre (EWC) in conjunction with ects that are in a process of being assumed leadership in preparations employees and their families an op- implemented are in Timor-Leste; for the Summit.w portunity to “take stock” of their health the DFA Sport Council hosted a successful Family and Sport to make informed decisions about their wellbeing. Day on Saturday 25 October 2008 at the Pretoria Municipal EWC has in the past few years Recreation Club in Riviera. co-ordinated the Wellness Days to Congratulations to the run over three consecutive days at following people who won Tulbagh Park. This year the Wellness themselves beautiful prizes: Days ran over seven days at the six DFA buildings, from 16 October 2008 1 Julia Sambo - Beauty and and culminated into a Family and relaxation treats for women Sport Day event.