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STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR NTHUTANG MARTIN SELEKA, DIRECTOR: HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL S HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS SEGMENT TO BE HELD FROM 27-29 JUNE 2016, NEW YORK Mr. President, South Africa wishes to align itself with the statement delivered by H.E. Mr Virachai Plasai, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations on behalf of the G77 and China. The South African delegation extends its appreciation to the UN Secretary-General for his focused and action-oriented report on Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations. The main elements of this year s theme, namely transition from relief to development Understanding the humanitarian-development nexus, are of particular interest to South Africa. South Africa also welcomes the recent World Humanitarian Summit 2016 for laying firm foundations for our discussions of the persisting humanitarian challenges that the world is currently facing. South Africa holds the view that the key to an effective transition from relief to early recovery and development, is for the United Nations system to enable systematic and predictable planning and coordination support. This should include clear roles

and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders, with the requisite resources being made available to support such roles and responsibilities. We are also concerned that, despite the UN s Transformative Agenda, international humanitarian aid has not been prioritized for transformation. In this regard, the promise of swifter, more appropriate and accountable humanitarian aid must be kept - not only for disaster response, but to invest adequate resources in developing capacities and building long-term resilience against such disasters. South Africa believes that there should be a collective effort that seamlessly locates issues of humanitarian affairs at the same levels as the other pillars of peace and security, human rights, and development in support of a common vision. That said, South Africa extends its commitment and support to efforts in realizing the five core principles that underlines the Agenda for Humanity and that were at the heart of the recently concluded World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey. The five core principles outline achievable goals and South Africa, in collaboration with the African Union, has made remarkable strides in illustrating political leadership to prevent and end conflicts through its involvement in high-level political mediation and conciliation efforts as well as contributing to peace-keeping and peace-making missions on the African Continent. The challenges of under-development have been identified as a root cause of armed conflicts and it is on this basis that the African Union has launched its Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative (PICI) aimed at ensuring the acceleration of regional infrastructure development around the African Continent. South Africa played an instrumental role in establishment of this initiative and chairs the PICI. Over time, Sub-Saharan African has hosted and continues to host a vast number of forcibly displaced persons with South Africa being the largest single recipient of asylum seekers. South Africa is regarded as a leader on the African Continent by

availing recognised forcibly displaced persons (refugees) within its territory of fundamental rights contained in the country s Constitution, such as the right to live wherever you like and the right to work and access social services. Accordingly, South Africa, as a responsible member of the international community and a caring country, is playing an active part in investing in humanity by contributing its national resources and advancing the ultimate realisation of the Agenda for Humanity. South Africa also continues to support compliance with the principles of International Humanitarian Law as a crucial legal mechanism through which to ensure the protection of human life and property thereby aiming to limit the catastrophic effects of armed conflict. To this end, South Africa, in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (ICRC), has been hosting annual regional seminars for the past 15 years aimed at strengthening the implementation of IHL. South Africa is also one of the diplomatic champions at the forefront of the Health Care in Danger (HCiD) Project by mobilizing broad-based political support for the protection of healthcare personnel, health facilities and endangered patients and played an instrumental role thereon during the 32 nd International Conference of the ICRC in December 2015. South Africa further supports the call contained in the Sendai Framework, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, and reiterated by the UNSG, to shift global disproportionate focus on crisis management and response towards investing in crisis prevention and ensuring the establishment of community resilience. This would lead to a shift in focus from not only delivering aid, but also ending the need for it over time. Mr President, In Conclusion, South Africa wishes to reaffirm its continued commitment to realising the Agenda for Humanity that places at its centre, the sanctity of human life. The

time has come for the international community to illustrate the political will and leadership to advance the common good of humanity. I thank you.