2 july 2018 newsletter issue no.: 1 - rand west city
TRANSCRIPT
2 July 2018
NEWSLETTER Issue No.: 1
Join the conversation
www.brics2018.org.za
@BRICS_10 @brics_10
#BRICS #BRICSZA
BRICS IN SA
Diverse regions,
shared objectives
South Africa assumed the rotational Chairship
of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa (BRICS) Forum from 1 January to 31
December 2018.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will host the 10th
BRICS Summit, scheduled to take place at the
Sandton International Convention Centre (ICC)
in Johannesburg, from 25 – 27 July 2018.
South Africa’s Chairship also coincides with the
100th centenary celebrations of Nelson
Mandela. This gives an opportunity for
Mandela’s legacy of socio-economic
advancement to live on.
The 2018 Summit will be a seminal milestone
for BRICS cooperation, as it represents a
decade of BRICS cooperation at the highest
diplomatic level.
The theme for the 10th BRICS Summit is:
“BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive
Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th
Industrial Revolution”.
The theme is reflective of the core priorities of
each one of the BRICS members, notably to
strive towards the creation of an inclusive
society and global partnerships that will bring
prosperity to all humankind.
BRICS cooperation in the past decade has
expanded to include an annual programme of
over 100 sectoral meetings.
South Africa’s membership of the BRICS Forum
has become a vital element of its global
economic strategy and is viewed as a catalyst
and enabling tool for the pursuit and
achievement of South Africa’s foreign policy
priorities, including the promotion of the African
Agenda, sustainable development, global
governance reform and South-South
cooperation.
As the BRICS Chair, South Africa intends to
build on the legacy of the 2013 Summit and to
continue working towards strengthening
relations between BRICS and the African
continent.
International Relations and Cooperation Deputy
Minister, Luwellyn Landers, hosted the Fourth
Meeting of the BRICS Deputy Ministers on the Middle
East and North Africa (MENA), on 20 June 2018.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation,
Lindiwe Sisulu, hosted the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs/International Relations of Brazil, Russia, India,
and China on 4 June 2018 in Pretoria, South Africa.
BRICS REPORT
Youth, science,
security, business,
changeIn the past month, South Africa hosted
important sectoral engagements with its BRICS
partners, the business sector and the youth,
driving the change agenda: “BRICS in Africa:
Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared
Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution”.
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, and the Western
Cape MEC for Economic Opportunities, Alan
Winde, hosted a BRICS delegation at the
Elsenberg Agricultural College on 19 June
2018. The programme included exhibitions of
agricultural programmes in South Africa,
engagements with students from the Elsenburg
Agricultural College as well as a farm visit.
State Security Minister, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba
hosted a BRICS Security Ministers Meeting
from 28 – 29 June 2018 in Durban. Discussions
centred on issues of global security such as
cyber security, international terrorism and
organised crime, with a view to strengthen
cooperation on these matters.
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and
Traditional Affairs, Dr Zweli Mkhize, hosted
BRICS Ministers responsible for Local
Government and Disaster Management as well
as mayors and other local government
practitioners under the auspices of the BRICS
Friendship Cities and Local Government
Cooperation and Urbanisation Forum, in East
London from 28 June through to 1 July. The
Forum promotes engagement between BRICS
states through cities and local bodies. It
promotes people-to-people cooperation among
BRICS nations and collaboration at the local
government level.
The Department of Science and Technology
(DST) hosted a wide range of meetings to
discuss the role of science, technology and
innovation (STI) in society. Sessions were held
on harnessing the youth demographic dividend
to make use of the opportunities of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution, Africa's historical
contribution to STI, and the relevance of STI to
the African Agenda today.
DST, in partnership with the Academy of
Science of South Africa, hosted the Third
BRICS Young Scientist Forum from 25 to 29
June in Durban at the Maharani Hotel.
BRICS Young Diplomats Forum delegates touring the Cradle of Humankind, 27 June 2018, Maropeng,
Mogale City
International Relations and Cooperation Deputy
Minister, Reginah Mhaule, on 26 June
addressed the meeting of the 4th BRICS Young
Diplomats Forum (YDF) from 25 – 29 June.
The BRICS YDF is an initiative that enables the
young diplomats of the BRICS member
countries to define promising spheres of
practical cooperation and overcoming the
obstacles in their joint work and exchange
useful experience of diplomatic work.
The Minister of Science and Technology,
Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, also gave a
keynote address on South Africa’s international
cooperation in science and technology, and
opportunities for the BRICS partnership.
Experts from the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) made a
presentation on South Africa's progress in
terms of innovation in engineering, medicine,
mechanics, etc. for the Fourth Industrial
Revolution.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura addressed
the young diplomats on 28 June at the
Development Bank of Southern Africa in
Midrand and urged them to focus on good
governance and ethical leadership.
The group also toured the Cradle of
Humankind and the CSIR Robotics Innovation
Centre.
Did you know?
The new areas of BRICS cooperation as
proposed by South Africa, are as follows:
• establishing a Working Group on
Peacekeeping
• establishing a Vaccine Research
Centre for Collaboration with BRICS
vaccine innovation and development
partners – this is intended to be a
physical research centre focused on
research and development and
vaccine innovation
• establishing a BRICS Gender and
Women’s Forum – this is intended as
a dedicated track for gender and
women’s issues, given the economic
benefit to be derived from the socio-
economic empowerment of women,
particularly in developing countries
• leveraging the Strategy for BRICS
Economic Partnership towards the
Pursuit of Inclusive Growth and
Advancing the BRICS Partnership
on the Fourth Industrial Revolution
– this is intended to foster discussions
to address opportunities provided by
the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a
means of leapfrogging development
stages and bridging the digital divide
• establishing a BRICS Tourism Track
of Cooperation.
BRICS OUTREACH
Profiling, benefits,
citizen buy-in
Since February 2018, he South African
Government has embarked on a number of
activities in the run-up to the 10th BRICS
Summit. The activities provide a platform to
highlight the importance of South Africa’s
participation in BRICS and the benefits thereof.
It is also used to cultivate citizen buy-in into
BRICS activities and to profile South Africa’s
role as Chair of BRICS.
Recent outreach events:
On 18 June, the Deputy Minister of
International Relations and Cooperation,
Luwellyn Landers, addressed the Speaker's
Meeting at the South African Institute of
International Affairs (SAIIA) The theme of the
discussion focused on “BRICS in Africa:
Working towards the Realisation of the African
Aspirations”.
On the same day, the BRICS Sherpa and
Deputy Director-General for Asia and the
Middle East in the Department of International
Relations and Cooperation, Prof. Anil Sooklal,
addressed a Roundtable Discussion in Durban
in partnership with the City of eThekwini.
The Deputy Minister of International Relations
and Cooperation, Reginah Mhaule, on 22 June
2018, addressed business stakeholders in
Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The event provided a
platform for the Deputy Minister to highlight the
importance of South Africa’s participation in
BRICS and the benefits thereof.
Deputy Minister Mhaule addressed youth on
the 10th BRICS Summit in Mpumalanga on 29
June.
The purpose of the Deputy Minister’s
engagement with young people was to create
awareness of the 10th BRICS Summit and
provided exposure to unemployed youth to
available business opportunities and careers.
The event took place as the country
commemorated the 2018 Youth Month under
the theme “Live the Legacy: Towards a Socio-
Economically Empowered Youth”.
On the sidelines of the Second Meeting of the BRICS
Sherpas/Sous-Sherpas in Limpopo, the Sherpas
engaged students at the University of Venda on 23 April
2018.
Deputy Minister of International Relations and
Cooperation, Luwellyn Landers, engaging stakeholders
at SAIIA on 18 June 2018
The South Africa BRICS Sherpa and Deputy Director-
General of Asia and Middle East of DIRCO, Prof. Anil
Sooklal, engaging students at the University of the
Western Cape, 14 May 2018.
The Minister of Small Business Development,
Lindiwe Zulu, arriving at a BRICS Business
Roundtable at the Eastern Cape Industrial
Development Zone, 26 June 2018.
ENGAGING MEDIA
BRICS priorities for SA
On Wednesday, 28 March 2018, the BRICS Sherpa, Prof. Anil Sooklal briefed the following media houses in Johannesburg: The Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA),
the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef), and The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The objective of the briefings were to engage the media on
BRICS to ensure a better understanding of the issues and more informed reporting. Issues arising from these briefings will be compiled in a Q&A document to inform identified
messengers.
Message from the PresidentListen to the South African President, HE Mr Cyril Ramaphosa’s
welcome message on www.brics2018.org.za.
Join the conversation
www.brics2018.org.za
@BRICS_10 @brics_10
#BRICS #BRICSZA
Coming up
• Eighth BRICS Science, Technology
and Innovation Senior Officials
Meeting, 2 July 2018
• Sixth Meeting of the BRICS Ministers
of Science, Technology and
Innovation, 3 July 2018
• Third Meeting of Industry Experts, 3
July 2018
• Third Meeting of BRICS Industry
Ministers, 4 July 2018
• Meeting of BRICS Trade Ministers, 5
July 2018
• BRICS Network University
Conference, 5 – 7 July 2018
• President Cyril Ramaphosa to
engage with Team South Africa on
the readiness of the 10th BRICS
Summit, 6 July 2018
• Meeting of BRICS Senior Officials on
Education, 9 July 2018
• Meeting of the BRICS Ministers of
Education, 10 July 2018
• Fourth BRICS Youth Summit and
Meeting, 16 – 21 July 2018
• BRICS Games, 16 – 22 July 2018.