Chairperson, Minister and Deputy Ministers, hon members, invited guests, comrades and friends, as we all know, we are living and experiencing a constantly evolving world order. As I speak, the global order is being reshaped by new trading relationships, new technologies, services and diplomatic ties, and much of this dynamism is fuelled by developing-world nation states in the South; and in the process these nation states are expanding their horizons on the front that I have mentioned and, hence, bypassing the rich Northern states.
In so doing, the nations of the South started to look and find appropriate low-cost and sustainable solutions to their problems, rather than looking to the rich North. It draws on clear examples of alternative opportunities. For example, if Africa needs boreholes to access water, it should make sense to access India's huge pool of expertise, rather than to recruit expensive European water engineers.
Speaker, this ANC-led government's policy with regard to international relations and co-operation should be seen against the backdrop of what I have just sketched. And it is a policy that is informed by that seminal liberation instrument, the Freedom Charter, which states unequivocally that there shall be peace and friendship. This credo was given further expression in the 2009 election manifesto, which pledged, and I quote:
The ANC believes that economic and political co-operation with other countries can improve the lives of our own people, and we will continue to work towards a better life for all, a better Africa and world without hunger, disease, conflict and underdevelopment.
Furthermore, in 2007 in Polokwane at our 52nd national conference, we resolved, amongst other things, to join hands and collaborate with progressive forces and develop a common agenda with the objective to realising a just and better world. Such a world order must be characterised, inter alia, by greater security, peace, dialogue and greater equilibrium between poor and rich nations.
Also, as the ANC, we are guided by the principle of a better Africa and a better world. Speaker and hon members, South Africa has played a significant role in advancing the development agenda of the countries in the South through its leadership roles in the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Unctad, the Non-Aligned Movement, G77, China and the steering committees of Nepad, as well as co-operation pacts between Asia and Africa, since we joined the family of nations.
We have contributed and are contributing with the conviction that South- South co-operation is not an option, but an imperative to complement North- South co-operation, in order to contribute to the achievement of internationally agreed-upon developmental goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. We believe that South-South co-operation is about the tremendous force of solidarity with which we can overcome the biggest challenges.
However, Chairperson, just like the world revolves constantly so does the challenges in the South; hence the need for the drivers of co-operation to further strengthen it in different areas, such as communication, technology, trade, investment, finance, debt management, food, agriculture, water, energy, health and education, as well as in North-South-related issues. In this regard, we must enhance and expand the exchange of resources, experiences and expertise in these areas to make South-South Co- operation contribute to economic growth and sustainable development.
So, Speaker, we are saying that only through collective endeavours are we able to play a more effective role in achieving development objectives and shaping international relations. South-South Co-operation does not mean isolation from the countries in the North. In fact, both the Marrakech Declaration that was adopted in 2003 and the Havana Programme of Action provides for an interface between the modalities for North-South and South- South Co-operation. In this regard, there shall be a convergence in the search for the same development objectives, for example, the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. In other words, South-South Co-operation should be the instrument to contribute to the achievement of the internationally agreed-upon development goals.
Speaker, in pursuing these objectives, we are mindful of the fact that the experiences of developing countries vary widely. Some developing countries have demonstrated strong achievement in various domains of development, while in others setbacks have been registered in different economic and social spheres. Also, we recognise that South-South Co-operation has experienced successes and failures, which are linked in a broad sense to the external international environment, which influences development policies and strategies.
In the 1950s and 1960s, South-South Co-operation evolved and developed in the context of the common struggle of developing countries to reach development and growth. As a consequence, institutions for South-South Co- operation were developed and evolved, including the G77 and Non-Aligned Movement. It is these and other multilateral organisations, including Unctad, the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, and other institutions of the UN system that helped to formulate and articulate Southern needs and concerns and provided a framework for a fruitful North- South dialogue and a mutually beneficial relationship.
In this context, Speaker, we could do well to enhance more direct co- operation between the Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned movement, in order to promote South-South co-operation through concrete initiatives and projects in all fields of interest for the countries of the South.
Speaker, the economic growth in several developing countries, and the strengthening of their domestic capabilities, can have a strong impact on the scope and effectiveness of South-South Co-operation. It is common knowledge that several developing countries have diversified economies and rely on well-trained human resources.
Moreover, current trends in international trade and investment liberalisation, as well as the increasing regional and economic integration offer new opportunities and challenges for South-South Co-operation. Also, several developing countries play an active role in the transfer of knowledge and experience, as well as in the creative expansion of technologies and increasing productivity and competitiveness.
On this score we are aware that the South has both the desire and the potential to move South-South Co-operation within and beyond regional and subregional boundaries. A case in point is, of course, the India-Brazil- South Africa Dialogue Forum. Market proximity, similarity in products and processes and business cultures affinity can offer investors from developing countries greater opportunities for a new wave of South-to-South trade and investment. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]