Ramaphosa flies to New York for UN General Assembly
President Cyril Ramaphosa flew to New York on Sunday, where he will attend the United Nations General Assembly.
He will be leading the delegation to the High-Level meetings.
Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola and Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau have already arrived in the US ahead of this week's meetings.
Ramaphosa will join more than 140 world leaders who will descend on New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly summit, which will be dominated this year by the future of the Palestinians and Gaza.
One world leader who will miss the gathering is Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president, whom Washington denied US visas to attend, along with his officials.
Two years after the beginning of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the humanitarian catastrophe ravaging the small Palestinian territory will dominate debates at the high-level event.
Kicking off Monday, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair meetings on the future of the Israeli and Palestinian two-state solution, which aims to see both sides existing alongside one another in peace.
After the overwhelming adoption last week by the General Assembly of a text supporting a future Palestinian state -- albeit without Hamas -- this meeting is expected to see the formal recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries, notably France.
READ MORE: Tau, Lamola in US for trade talks ahead of UN General Assembly
The Presidency said in a statement that Ramaphosa’s address will support strong multilateralism, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and the protection of human rights for all.
The delegation will engage on urgent international issues, including the war in Gaza, conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the war in Ukraine, and other geopolitical tensions.
“A central pillar of South Africa’s agenda is the comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council to make it more representative, democratic, and effective. South Africa will assertively advance the three core pillars of the UN Charter: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights,” the Presidency said.
“Building on its G20 mandate to shape global economic solutions, South Africa will argue forcefully for a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient global economy. The delegation will spotlight the disproportionate impact of current global challenges on developing nations and push for enhanced international cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
ALSO READ:
