Your Excellencies, of the BRICS countries;

Distinguished delegates;

Ladies, and gentlemen;

In this historic year of celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the creation of the United Nations, South Africa remains beholden to the important role that the United Nations played in ending apartheid in South Africa.

As South Africans we also celebrate this year, the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Freedom Charter, the foundation of our modern constitutional democracy.

In the context of peace and security, we have witnessed over the past two decades, the emergence of complex new threats that are inter-connected, multi-dimensional and trans-boundary, as manifested in phenomena such as international terrorism and transnational organised crime.

These new threats have radically challenged the traditional discourse on international law and security.

The nature of these threats, coupled with resource limitations, requires BRICS partners to work more closely together, notably in the context of the United Nations and relevant regional bodies.

Our National Security Advisors met recently and discussed cooperation on counter-terrorism and violent extremism.

Our relevant Ministers also discussed the increased use of illicit drugs as a funding mechanism for the former, and I therefore welcome the Protocol on Anti-Drug Cooperation that was signed. 

When we consider that two-thirds of the world’s population still does not enjoy access to the Internet, it should be our shared goal to give people the power to transform their lives and benefit from all positive opportunities that the “online” world offers. We support the early adoption of rules, norms and principles of responsible behaviour on the Internet.

We recognise the involvement of all stakeholders in terms of the Tunis Agenda 2005, as well as consider the sovereign rights of nation states in this regard.

We recognise the need to deal with related crimes through a universal regulatory and binding instrument under United Nations’ auspices.

South Africa was most appreciative for the solidarity we received from our BRICS partners for the recent tragic events in the Mediterranean regarding migrants from the African continent and the Middle East.

The South African Government is putting various initiatives in place in order to deal with the migration issues and welcome exchanges with our BRICS partners in this regard.

We congratulate our Chairperson on the successful completion and our adoption of the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership which will provide a platform for further intensifying our economic cooperation, in all identified priority sectors.

South Africa is eagerly looking forward to working together with our fellow BRICS countries, to implement the Strategy for the benefit of our people.

We also appreciate the recent meetings that our Chairperson organised, and further encourage our parliamentarians, academics, business people, members of our civil societies and youth to continue strengthening their ties and exchanges, and acknowledge their contributions.

This is indeed a historic year where our inter-governmental agreements on the New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement entered into force.

We wish to assure our partners, as well as the new President of the Bank, Mr KV Kamath and his fellow Vice Presidents, including our own Mr Leslie Maasdorp, of our unwavering support for this endeavour.

We also welcome the appointment of the Non-Executive Directors, including our own Mr Tito Mboweni.

Since we joined the BRICS in Sanya, our trade has expanded exponentially and we witnessed impressive growth, indicative of the continuous integration of our economies.

Both South Africa and the African continent have benefitted from our economic cooperation with our BRICS partners.

South Africa’s total trade with BRICS in 2011 was R268 billion and has since grown to R382 Billion in 2014, an increase of 70%.  BRICS total trade with Africa doubled since 2007 to US dollar 340 billion in 2012 and is projected to reach US dollar 500 billion by 2015.

In addition to 2015 being the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, it is also the year in which a number of significant development processes is taking place.

These include the intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda; the Third International Conference on Financing for Development; as well as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference known as COP21, later this year.

As BRICS partners we should strive to enhance our coordination and coherence on these issues.

The overarching triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment continue to inhibit global development. If we, as member states of the United Nations do not deal comprehensively with the scourge of poverty, underdevelopment and diseases, the poor of the world will consider that the UN has failed them.  

Thus, South Africa, in its capacity as the current Chair of the Group of 77 and China, will be working closely with all UN member states towards a global development agenda in which the eradication of poverty and the noble Millennium Development Goals remains our collective focus and are addressed.

For the BRICS members, the adoption of an ambitious global development agenda will most certainly also provide us with new opportunities for cooperation in ensuring the implementation of the agreed global development goals.

I thank you.