By Thapelo Molefe
President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in New York to lead South Africa’s delegation at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), where he is expected to use the global stage to call for peace, inclusive development, and stronger cooperation among nations.
The high-level segment, which begins on Tuesday, coincides with the UN’s 80th anniversary under the theme “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.”
Ramaphosa’s visit to the general assembly comes amid strained relations with the United States – the country’s second largest trading partner – including the implementation of 30% reciprocal tariffs earlier this year.
Pretoria’s decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on charges of genocide in Gaza was applauded by many in the Global South but drew sharp criticism from Washington, which views the case as politically motivated and harmful to US interests in the Middle East.
At the same time, some American lawmakers have raised concerns over South Africa’s handling of violence against white farmers, citing these as a human rights issue and linking it to debates over land reform. The Trump administration has made available refugee status for Afrikaner farmers and other minorities.
South Africa’s friendly relationship with Iran has also irked the Trump administration.
Pretoria, in turn, has rejected the claims made by Trump and his administration as exaggerated and misinformed.
In his weekly newsletter released on Monday, Ramaphosa said the session would allow South Africa to “champion robust multilateralism, peaceful resolution of conflicts, and the unwavering protection of human rights for all”.
Ramaphosa is scheduled to address the general debate on Tuesday.
“We will carry a message from the Global South, amplified by South Africa’s current role as Chair of the G20,” he said.
He added that the country would engage on urgent international issues, including the ongoing genocide in Gaza, conflicts in Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo and the war in Ukraine.
On Monday, he will attend a high-level meeting on the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Al Saud.
According to Ramaphosa, the meeting seeks to reaffirm international commitments to the two-state solution and mobilise support for its implementation.
Later in the week, the President will participate in a summit on building a sustainable and resilient global economy hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“South Africa will argue forcefully for a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient global economy,” Ramaphosa said, stressing the need to highlight the disproportionate burden of global crises on developing nations.
Ramaphosa will also convene a high-level meeting on women, children and adolescents health, which he described as “a powerful opportunity for global advocacy, agenda setting, and cross-sectoral engagement at the highest level”.
The President’s programme includes a climate action summit co-chaired by Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, bilateral talks with world leaders, and meetings with United States companies to advance South Africa’s investment drive.
“The United States has long been a strategic partner for South Africa, ranking among the country’s top five export destinations,” Ramaphosa said.
He will also lead the high-level opening of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Thursday before concluding his week of engagements.
INSIDE POLITICS
[SRC] https://insidepolitic.co.za/ramaphosa-heads-to-unga80-pledges-to-push-peace-and-global-reform/
