South Africa and the General Assembly's 63rd Session

The briefing outlines South Africa's expected contributions to 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. It highlights the use of the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a catalyst for the 'African Renaissance' and the role of 'quiet diplomacy' in resolving Zimbabwean political conflict.

• South Africa intends to use the 63rd UN General Assembly to promote the 'African Agenda' and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), specifically through a meeting on Africa’s Development Needs on 22 September 2008 and a mid-term review of the MDGs on 25 September 2008.
• The South African government plans to launch the African Legacy Programme during a reception of Heads of State on 25 September 2008, positioning the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup as a milestone for the continent's development and the 'African Renaissance'.
• South Africa is leveraging South-South cooperation through the India-Africa Forum Summit and the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Trilateral Partnership to increase its influence when lobbying the North, such as 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 increase the role of the global South in decision-making.
• The Mbeki administration views the 15 September 2008 power-sharing agreement between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai as evidence that its policy of 'quiet diplomacy'—characterized by dialogue and private pressure—is effective.
• Regarding the MDGs, South Africa reports progress in development, including providing anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment to 282,200 citizens in the public health care 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} }