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9 September 2007

Pretoria – South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on Sunday 9 September 2007 depart for Paris, France where she will present a keynote address at the African Union – African Diaspora Regional Consultative Conference scheduled from Tuesday, 11 to Wednesday, 12 September 2007.

Minister Dlamini Zuma will address this conference within the context of South Africa's commitment to advancing the decision by the African Union to build and strengthen relations with the African Diaspora.

In this regard, the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments of the African Union (AU) held on 3 February 2003 affirmed the need to 'invite and encourage the full participation of the African Diaspora as an important part of our continent, in the building of the African Union.'

South Africa will accordingly, on behalf of the African Union, host a summit of the African Diaspora during the first half of 2008 under the banner, 'Towards the realisation of a united and integrated Africa and its Diaspora: A shared vision for sustainable development to address common challenges.'

As part of the preparation for the summit, a series of Regional Consultative Conferences (RCC) have been organised. Conferences have already taken place in Brazil for Latin America, London for the United Kingdom, New York for North America, Barbados for the Caribbean. The Africa RCC will take place in Addis Ababa in October 2007.

The RCCs aim to produce a shared vision for sustainable development for the African continent and its Diaspora. In this particular case, it is the development of a shared partnership and programme of action between the AU and the African Diaspora in Europe.

Minister Dlamini Zuma is scheduled to return to South Africa on Friday, 14 September 2007.

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
9 September 2007