New York – South Africa has called on the United Nations to strengthen its support for Africa’s industrialisation, infrastructure development and innovation, while urging the organisation’s Security Council to consider a woman for the position of Secretary General.
The country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi, made the calls during deliberations at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, where member states discussed Africa’s development priorities and the implementation of the global body’s resolutions.
During a debate on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Agenda 2063 and progress towards sustainable development across the continent, Nkosi said international support was necessary to help African countries expand their productive capacity, improve infrastructure and strengthen innovation.
He said these interventions would contribute to efforts to increase trade between African countries under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The continental trade agreement seeks to remove barriers to trade among African economies, expand the movement of goods and services, and strengthen Africa’s participation in global value chains.
Nkosi also called for closer strategic cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, arguing that the partnership remained important in coordinating development initiatives and supporting African countries in addressing shared challenges.
He pointed to the role of the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Regional Coordination Mechanism for Africa (RCM-Africa) in advancing cooperation between the two institutions.
In a separate address to the General Assembly on implementing resolutions and revitalising the UN’s work, Nkosi turned to the question of leadership at the highest level of the multilateral system.
Noting the number of prominent women who had made themselves available for consideration as the next UN Secretary General, he urged members of the Security Council to consider recommending a female candidate for appointment to the position.
Nkosi said appointing a woman would send a powerful message about the United Nations’ commitment to gender equality.
Leave a comment