South Africa: African Union-African Diaspora Ministerial Conference

On Tuesday 16 November, South Africa hosted an African Union-African Diaspora Ministerial Conference in Johannesburg. The conference discussed the following topics:

• global dialogue, peace and stability
• historical, socio-cultural and religious commonalities
• knowledge sharing
• women, youth, children and vulnerable groups
• economic co-operation
• regional development and integration.

In her opening remarks to the conference, South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma stated, "We are deeply honoured to have in our presence a dedicated and a long-standing member of the Pan Africanist Movement and renowned Caribbean Pan-Africanist, Ambassador Dudley Thompson. Your presence here will indeed inspire us to take Pan Africanism to greater heights!"

South African President Thabo Mbeki in his speech noted, "...At the beginning of the 20th century, the Trinidad barrister, Sylvester Williams, sponsored the first Pan-African Congress which was held in London in 1900. One of the most important and indelible results of this gathering was that it gave birth to the concept of Pan-Africanism.

Accordingly, engagements such as this AU-African Diaspora Ministerial Conference are part of the great tradition of the African people, wherever they are, to unite and confront the many challenges we have faced for many centuries.

Whereas Sylvester Williams, W E B du Bois, George Padmore, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta and others organised the Pan-African Congresses so as to mobilise and fight colonialism and racism, today we are faced with multiple challenges most of which are the legacy of slavery, colonialism and apartheid."

Mr Mbeki ended his speech with the following commitment, "Before I conclude, I would like to assure you that our eminent continental organisation, the African Union is determined to give effect to the Pan-African vision that first found organised expression in the Pan-African Conference of 1900. While remaining firmly committed to the objective of uniting the African Continent, it similarly remains firmly committed to meaningful co-operation between our continent and the African Diaspora."