SA foreign minister calls for reform of international institutions
South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, told a meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers in Los Cabos, Mexico, that they can play a vital role in addressing the various needs of the world.
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the Minister urged her fellow G20 counterparts to use the values and principles of the United Nations Charter to intact much needed change to global institutions and deal with various challenges facing the global community.
“South Africa is committed to working with the G20, and like-minded countries, to make a real difference in helping to facilitate the unblocking of stalled negotiations, where appropriate, in facilitating the implementation of agreements already reached and in reforming the multilateral institutions that make up the global system of governance,” Nkoana-Mashabane said.
With regards to the issue of institutional reform, the Minister made mention of the United Nations Security Council in particular, saying that, “The UNSC is one of the global governance institutions that we believe, very strongly, should be more representative – in both composition and decision-making processes – of the international community.”
“However, more than ever, the world is in need of comprehensive reform of the UNSC which involves an expanded Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, and with improved working methods,” she added.
The Minister also emphasised that, “South Africa has been actively engaged in and supportive of all aspects of the reform process and welcomes the progress that has been made to date.”
Nkoana-Mashabane also held informal discussions, with United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton on the sidelines of the G20 meeting.
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