Parliament, Monday 24 September 2018 – After leading a high-powered delegation of Chief Whips and other Members of Parliament to Cuba on a week-long official parliamentary visit, the Speaker of the National Assembly Ms Baleka Mbete has arrived in New York in the United States of America for meetings relating to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
The 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, scheduled to take place from 25 to 27 September 2018, is being held under theme: “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful equitable and sustainable societies.”
The Speaker is scheduled to attend a wide range of meetings and also to address sessions relating to the global fight against tuberculosis (TB). The sessions include the Africa Side Event, organised by the African Union and NEPAD -– United to End Tuberculosis in Africa: A Continental Response; and the TB Communities and Celebrities organised by Stop TB.
Earlier this month, Parliament launched the South African Chapter of the Global TB Caucus of Parliamentarians. In their resolutions to launch the TB Caucus, the two Houses of Parliament noted that TB is the leading cause of death in South Africa and that a South African Chapter of the Global TB Caucus was necessary to raise awareness and support efforts to accelerate the elimination of the disease by 2030. This is in line with targets set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Caucus provides a platform for Members of Parliament and of Legislatures to champion treatment for TB in their constituencies and drive political action to end the disease.
Ms Mbete is expected to attend the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, a high-level plenary meeting convened by President of the General Assembly Ms Maria Espinosa, in honour of the centenary birthday of democratic South Africa’s founding president.
Ahead of the start of UN General Assembly, President Cyril Ramaphosa and other leaders will unveil a statue of President Nelson Mandela at the United Nations headquarters, an unprecedented honour bestowed on a leader.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Enquiries: Moloto Mothapo 082 370 6930 / 076 062 2180
Arrange a tour