Pretoria - Food security and climate change will take centre stage when President Jacob Zuma leads a delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting (CHOGM) this week.
The meeting, to be held in Perth, Australia from Friday to Sunday, will be held under the theme "Building National Resilience, Building Global Resilience", according to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
"The meeting will focus on food security, climate change, mining for development, polio eradication, and sustainable development as well as strengthening the Commonwealth institutionally, including through promoting Commonwealth values such as democracy, the rule of law and human rights," said the department's spokesperson, Clayson Monyela.
Monyela added that the items under discussion at the meeting were in line with South Africa's Constitution and South Africa's foreign policy objectives.
"South Africa supports the reform of global political and economic organisations," he said on Monday.
The department said CHOGM 2011 was of great importance to South Africa to interact with its counterparts on the issues of climate change.
SA's International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, is the incoming President of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) serving as the Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
COP 17 will be held at Durban's Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre from 28 November to 9 December. The conference is expected to attract 20 000 delegates from around the world.
Additionally, Zuma will hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts from various Commonwealth countries on matters of mutual concern.
Every two years, Commonwealth leaders meet at the CHOGM to discuss global and Commonwealth issues, and to agree on collective policies and initiatives.
Zuma's delegation includes Minister Nkoana-Mashabane and senior government officials.
