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World Movement for Democracy
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OPENING SESSION
Statement from the African National Congress (ANC) on the Occasion of the World Movement's Third Assembly
Kgalema Motlanthe,
African National Congress
On behalf of the African National Congress, I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to all delegates to the Third Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in Durban. I'm sure over the next few days you will enjoy the warmth and hospitality of the peoples of KwaZulu-Natal. Your conference theme, "Building Democracy for Peace, Development, and Human Rights," is consistent with the principles of the African National Congress and the priorities of both NEPAD (the New Partnership for Peace and Development) and the African Union. I trust that this Third Assembly in Durban, similar to the first two in New Delhi and Sao Paulo, will offer practitioners as well as policymakers opportunities to reflect on democracy's challenges throughout the world from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Iraq, to East Timor.
You have correctly chosen to host this conference in Durban, South Africa, during this historic year of the 10th anniversary of our democracy and our liberation from apartheid. This year is also the 92nd year of the African National Congress, Africa’s oldest liberation movement. The ANC has declared this year as the year of renewal of the democratic mandate to advance our second decade of liberation. As you are aware, South Africa is Africa’s youngest republic. In this respect, your conference has given us the opportunity to reaffirm the strong bond of solidarity and friendship that exists between our countries and peoples. We can never thank the people of the world enough for their support and solidarity, which made our democratic advances possible. Today, many democratic activists call to you to make a critical contribution to the growth of South Africa and the transformation of our country into a stable and prosperous, non-racial and non-sexist democracy. I am encouraged that South Africans continue to work to contribute whatever we can so that together with all of the peoples of our region and continent we address the political, economic, and social problems that concern all of us leading to the victory of the African renaissance. At the same time, we will continue to pursue the goal of the development of the world so that we rid our common world of the scourges of poverty, underdevelopment, hunger, terrorism, war, and the denial of human rights.
I am very pleased that this conference includes a number of democratic activists who are engaged in meaningful projects and partnerships with Africans. This is consistent with your concern to support our continent to meet our political, economic, and social goals centered on the strengthening of democracy and the defeat of poverty and underdevelopment and represented by the African Union and the New Partnership for Peace and Development (NEPAD). This year also witnesses three important foundational initiatives of the African Union coming into effect: the Pan-African Parliament, the African Union Peace and Security Council, and the African Court of Human Rights. Correctly, the African Union secretary general has declared that the African Union is not the Organization of African Unity. I believe that these three institutions will also intensify our engagement with the Africans in the Diaspora and democrats all over the globe so that we act together to overcome the consequences of the fateful past of slavery, colonialism, and racial oppression. I wish you all a fruitful Third Assembly and a pleasant stay in South Africa.
Sincerely,
Kgalema Motlanthe
Secretary General
ANC, South Africa
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