Pretoria – South Africa says the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) needs to reinvent itself in order to be responsive to opportunities of the 21st century.
Speaking during a NAM 50th commemorative conference in Bali, International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane touched on the need for international organisations to adapt to the new global political and economic landscapes.
“We need a movement that is ready and confident, willing to redouble its efforts in a manner that will prove to the sceptics, that the NAM represents the future,” Nkoana-Mashabane said on Wednesday.
She said the so-called Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa needed renewed focus and redoubling of efforts towards the resolution of the Palestinian and the Saharawi questions.
Nkoana-Mashabane said Pretoria would continue to support all efforts and initiatives towards the creation of the independent state of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
On Libya, the minister said South Africa remained deeply concerned with the ongoing conflict and the accompanying humanitarian crisis.
She called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and the launch of a political dialogue to resolve the current impasse.
Pretoria also noted the strides NAM has made since its inception 50 years ago, labelling it a home for developing countries, as it demanded the resolution of international tensions and wars.
“We are grateful to the role that NAM has played in the decolonisation of our continent of Africa and the struggle against apartheid in our country.
“NAM brought a new appreciation to the important principle of the sovereignty of states. More than anything, the NAM brought back our pride as a people, worthy enough to enjoy all the rights contained in the United Nations Charter – which all human beings enjoy,” said Nkoana-Mashabane.
She reiterated the call for the composition of the United Nations leadership and institution of global governance to be reshaped to give more power to emerging nations.
“The current anachronistic composition of the Security Council and the lack of representation of Africa in the permanent category are unsustainable. The Security Council has to be reformed as a matter of urgency to reflect the current global realities, for it to remain relevant and maintain its legitimacy,” the minister told the summit.
She also touched on the non-proliferation and arms control, achieving of MDGs and climate change, saying all these challenges needed common efforts.
“The next fifty years will be long, rough and bumpy, but the same resolve and principles that sustained us until now will see us through,” she said. – BuaNews
