National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, says the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on humanity should encourage world parliaments to vigorously perform their oversight functions, so that agreements adopted at different multilateral platforms are realised.
“These agreements should positively impact saving people’s lives, reconstructing and transforming economies to bring about a new global reality post-COVID-19,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.
Mapisa-Nqakula made the call in her capacity as the South African leader of delegation to the seventh Summit of the Heads of Parliaments of G20 countries, called the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit.
Parliaments of G20 countries have a crucial role, as oversight authorities, in ensuring governments are held accountable for implementing decisions. The two-day meeting held in Rome, Italy, aims to strengthen the role of legislatures in global affairs.
Speaking at the summit on Thursday, Mapisa-Nqakula gave South Africa’s socio-economic perspective regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Speaker said South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, has also been severely impacted by the pandemic, noting that the March 2020 hard lockdown caused devastating effects, both economically and socially.
“The devastating circumstances of the pandemic claimed many lives, destroyed economies and left many jobless. Socially it has resulted in another pandemic of gender-based violence (GBV) that has left women and children vulnerable,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.
Compared to other G20 countries, Mapisa-Nqakula said South Africa’s Gross domestic product (GDP) impact lies in the middle range.
The Speaker also commended the “sterling efforts” taken by South Africa and India at both World Trade Organisation (WTO) and United Nations (UN) level, in calling for a temporary waiver in intellectual property rules relating to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, diagnostics and other technologies.
“By waiving the parts of the Agreement on Trade Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), drug makers in developing countries could produce effective vaccines without worrying about being sued for patent infringements, ultimately speeding up the end of the pandemic,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.
She added that the fourth industrial revolution technology (4IR) is “at the heart of the recovery strategies”, adopted by South Africa to deal with the impact of the pandemic.
“This is possible through the Government’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. It aims to build a new economy and unleash South Africa’s true potential, and the project is to create a sustainable, resilient and inclusive economy.”
Strengthening relations between SA and Korea
Mapisa-Nqakula also met with National Assembly Speaker of the Republic of Korea, Park Byeong-seug on the sidelines of the Summit, with a view to strengthen relations between the two parliaments.
Political relations between the two countries date back to before the democratic dispensation in South Africa, and were formalised in 1994 when South Africa became a democratic government.
During the meeting, the two Speakers agreed on cooperation, and encouraged South African and Korean business people to invest in the economies of both countries.
The Speakers also agreed to closely work together in monitoring the implementation of commitments, and ensure policy convergence on critical interventions at the multilateral level.
The meeting also resolved to support the call for an increase of financial aid to vulnerable countries that are still recovering from, and were left vulnerable by COVID-19 and other disasters, including climate change.
They also stressed the need for equity in the redistribution of vaccines and discouraged vaccine nationalism.
The G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit ends on Friday.
Source: South African Government News Agency