NEDLAC BRIEFED ON WORLD SUMMIT 2002
18 June 2001
Today the Nedlac constituencies heard from the Minister of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, about the
plans underway for South Africa's hosting of the World Summit on
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in September 2002.
Ten years after the Rio Earth Summit, 6000 government delegates
from all over the world will again meet to discuss questions of
sustainable development, but this time the relationship between
this and poverty alleviation is likely to form a central theme.
Apart from the official Summit, which is a United Nations event,
the NGO sector traditionally holds its own parallel conference,
which is expected to draw in the region of 16 000 people.
The Minister said that the event is a unique marketing
opportunity to promote South Africa, and to improve the image of
South Africa as a tourist and an investment destination.
The Director-General of the Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism, Chippy Olver, outlined the logistical preparations
that are already underway for the Summit, which will take place
from 2-11 September 2002. The Sandton Convention Centre will be
used as the central venue, with 3 satellite centres. Accommodation
for the 6000 official delegates, as well as 140 Presidential suites
for the Heads of State that are expected to attend, have been
secured. It's expected that the budget will be in the region of
R400 million, and negotiations are underway with donor countries
and the corporate sector.
The Nedlac parties indicated to the Minister that they were keen
to engage on the agenda and the positions that South Africa would
table to the Summit as a country. They expressed the view that
Nedlac could play an important co-ordinating role in terms of
ensuring that all the stakeholders worked together towards making
the Summit a success. Many of the issues that will form part of the
agenda are already being discussed at Nedlac. Nedlac also has
experience in co-ordinating country positions for international
fora of this nature, having co-ordinated input to World Trade
Organisation and European Union negotiations.
Jennifer Wilson
Communications Coordinator
Nedlac
(011) 482-2511
fax: 482 4650
082 495 1341