South Africa and the General Assembly's 63rd Session

This 2008 briefing outlines South Africa's objectives for the 63rd UN General Assembly, emphasizing the 'African Agenda,' the mid-term review of the Millennium Development Goals, and the promotion of South-South cooperation via partnerships like IBSA. It highlights the use of the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a development milestone and South Africa's push to democratize the UN by increasing the powers of the General Assembly.

• South Africa's participation in the 63rd Session of the General Assembly focuses on the African Agenda and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This includes a meeting on 22 September 2008 regarding Africa’s Development Needs and a mid-term review of the MDGs on 25 September 2008, which are targeted for achievement by 2015.
• President Mbeki intends to use the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and the launch of the African Legacy Programme on 25 September 2008 to project the event as a milestone for African development and a catalyst for the "African Renaissance."
• South Africa has expanded its influence in the developing world through South-South cooperation, specifically citing the India-Africa Forum Summit and the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Trilateral Partnership. This positioning is used to lobby Northern nations, as demonstrated at the G8 Summit in Hokkaido.
• South Africa advocates for the 'democratisation' of the United Nations, specifically arguing that the General Assembly should be granted more powers to address the limited role of the global South in decision-making processes.
• Regarding the MDGs, South Africa reports progress in public health, noting that 282,200 citizens are receiving anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment in the public sector, although a significant portion of the HIV+ population still lacks access.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2008). South Africa and the General Assembly's 63rd Session. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-and-the-general-assemblys-63rd-session/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. South Africa and the General Assembly's 63rd Session. 2008. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-and-the-general-assemblys-63rd-session/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=South Africa and the General Assembly's 63rd Session |date=17 September 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-and-the-general-assemblys-63rd-session/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2008south, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{South Africa and the General Assembly's 63rd Session}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-and-the-general-assemblys-63rd-session/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }