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Deputy President of South Africa Addresses UNESCO Member States on Gender Equality and G20 Priorities
Opening the session, UNESCO Deputy Director-General Qu Xing hailed a partnership “across all areas of our mandate” and underlined South Africa’s G20 leadership on AI, data governance and innovative education finance. “91鶹Ʒ long admired South Africa and its unwavering commitment to peace – and we have worked together across all areas of our mandate to fight for this common mission,” he affirmed.
A high-level panel chaired by Assistant Director-General Lidia Brito showcased the Transforming MEN’talities programme, through which South Africa’s Higher Health actively engages men and boys in the fight against gender-based violence. “We are proud to recognize South Africa as a champion and trailblazer in this work,” she said, recalling the 2023Johannesburg summit, opened by Minister Blade Nzimande, which mobilized 1500 students and subsequently enabled Higher Health to empower over 5000 youth with civic and soft-skills training.
Deputy Minister Manamela spotlighted South Africa’s 17 UNESCO Chairs, its commitment to UNESCO’s regional and global Conventions on higher education, and chairmanship of the G20 Education Working Group, stressing mutual qualification recognition, foundational literacy and teacher development. Minister McKenzie reaffirmed support for UNESCO’s 1970 Convention, called for fresh backing to the and insisted on fair remuneration for African content creators. He also emphasized Africa’s right to host major sports events, citing South Africa’s successful hosting of the 19th FIFA World Cup in 2010, as proof of the continent’s capacity.
Taking the podium, Deputy President Mashatile commended UNESCO’s Transforming MEN’talities campaign for involving men and boys in combating gender-based violence:
South Africa has been implementing Transforming Mentalities as a tool to combat the GBV pandemic in recent years, [...] Boys must be raised to care not to dominate, to exercise not to control, to act and not to remain silent,
Closing the event, UNESCO’s G20 Sherpa Charaf Ahmimed praised South Africa’s leadership on global education financing and climate initiatives. “Last year, as a privileged partner of the Brazilian G20 presidency, we established a multi-donor fund to tackle climate disinformation, made a joint call for innovative education financing solutions - including debt-for-education swaps, and launched an Open Science Initiative,” he said. “We are proud to continue this collaboration under South Africa’s G20 presidency.”
The event reaffirmed the expanding partnership between UNESCO and South Africa, centered on shared goals of peace, gender equality, education, and sustainable development.
