Presentation on the G8 to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Foreign Affairs By Ambassador J.M. Matjila DDG: Asia

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Presentation on the G8 to the Parliamentary
Portfolio CommitteeForeign Affairs By
Ambassador J.M. MatjilaDDG Asia Middle
East5 March 2008
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South Africa The G8

• OVERVIEW
• G8 and its Evolution
• South Africas Engagement with the G8
• Road to Hokkaido (Japan Summit 2008)
• G8/G5 Political Dynamics
• South Africas Positioning

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The G8 its Evolution

• Informal Grouping of 8 industrialized countries
  founded in 1975
• Membership France, Japan, Germany, Italy, UK,
  USA, Canada(1976) and Russia (1998)
• Primarily to Dialogue on global economic issues
  as affecting the industrialized world
• With globalization interdependence imperatives,
  focus now includes political issues (peace and
  security) global issues (climate change) and
  development (Africa)
• Strategy based on Outreach Programmes

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South Africas Engagement with G8

• Political Mandate Cabinet/Lekgotla priority on
  North-South Dialogue
• Engagement Fronts
• Africa Outreach to promote the African Agenda
• G5 Outreach to promote development, partnership
  and an equitable global governance system
• Heiligendamm Process established as Political
  Dialogue on selected issues

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Africa Outreach Programme

• Origins Kananaskis (Canada 2002) established
  African Action Plan (AAP) as G8 undertaking to
  support NEPAD
• African Partnership Forum established as review
  mechanism (OECDAfrica) but not effective
• Gleneagles (2005) led to multilateral debt
  forgiveness to Africa and undertook to double ODA
  by 2010

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Africa Outreach Programme

• Challenges in Africa Outreach
• - To agree on review of commitments made in
  Kananaskis and Gleneagles
• - Need for G8s integrated response to NEPAD
• - Need to address APF institutional set-up
  currently dominated by OECD

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Africa Outreach Towards Hokkaido

• Challenge To agree on a balanced agenda for APF
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• Issues for Africa at 10th APF
• - Boosting Economic Growth Poverty Reduction
  (focusing on Infrastructure, ICT, Agriculture
  and Gender mainstreaming)
• - African Action Plan Mutual Responsibility and
  Accountability
• - Climate Change

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Heiligendamm Dialogue Process

• Origins 2007 Summit - Germany
• High level political dialogue to generate
  political consensus on Innovation Investment
  Energy and Development (with special regard to
  Africa)
• Lasting two years with Interim Report to Hokkaido
  (2008) and Final Report to Italy (2009)
• Uses OECD platform to host the Support Unit
• South Africa co-chairs the Development Pillar
  with France

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Road to Hokkaido Japan 2008

• Japan Summit 7 9 July 2008 (Hokkaido)
• Agenda items
• Macroeconomic Issues
• Climate Change
• Development (MDGs Health Education Water) and
  Africa (TICAD IV Outcomes)
• Political (North Korea Afghanistan Sudan Iran
  Nuclear Non-proliferation Counter-terrorism
  Peace-building)

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Road to Hokkaido (cont)

• Summit Proceedings Organized as follows
• 7 July Africa Outreach
• 8 July G8 Summit (closed session)
• 9 July Extended Outreach (G5 and Australia,
  Indonesia and South Korea)
• Summit Preparations as follows
• Ministerial Meetings (Various Subjects)
• TICAD IV (6-8 April, 2008) to prepare for Africa
  Outreach

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G5 Dynamics

• G5 not yet formally invited difficult dynamics
• Key Issues
• Efforts to avert G5 institutionalization
• Narrow Outreach Agenda (Climate Change)
• Marginalizing the Heiligendamm Process
• Resistance to G5 demands for
• Inclusiveness in G8 (implying agenda setting
  participation in Summit proper influencing
  outcomes
• Calls for G13 (G14)
• Form not important meaningful engagement based
  equality, partnership and mutual respect are key
  prerequisites

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South Africas Positioning

• Engagement with G8 critical to
• Influence thinking on Development
• Generate support for the African Agenda
• Contribute to the establishment of and equitable
  global economic system
• Promoting mutual understanding and development of
  partnerships.
• Challenge Pursue a relationship based on
  partnership, equality and mutual respect

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South Africa the G8

• END - THANK YOU