Pretoria: Cabinet has noted the imminence of two key international fora which will provide South Africa with an opportunity to advance the developmental agenda of Africa and the South.

“These are the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran, Iran, on 30 & 31 August 2012 and the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which begins on 18 September 2012,” said Cabinet spokesperson Jimmy Manyi on Wednesday during the post Cabinet media briefing.

“Both platforms will highlight issues in the Middle East, including Palestine; reform of international institutions such as the United Nations (UN); promotion of South-South Cooperation; climate change; the global financial and economic crisis and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”

Cabinet also emphasised the importance of South Africa’s participation in these international fora, which reflect the country’s international standing in advancing the interests of Africa and developing nations.

Meanwhile, South Africa will be hosting the Second Conference of African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration from 6 – 7 September at the International Convention Centre in Durban under the theme “Improving Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Institutional and Human Infrastructure in Africa”.

The conference will address the challenges caused by the absence of reliable vital-events data such as births, deaths, marriage and divorce on the African continent.

“Cabinet notes the importance of keeping reliable data to enable countries across the African continent to use the data for planning and socio-economic development purposes,” Manyi.