African Mobilisation in the 4th Industrial Revolution

“African Mobilisation in the 4th Industrial Revolution”

Students from over 10 universities across South Africa gather in Pretoria for a three-days National Model of United Unions student conference organised by United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) in collaboration with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the Friedrich Stiftung- South Africa from 10 to 12 July 2019. 

UNASA, supports the principle, goals and programmes of the United Nations (UN) and its agencies. At the university level, Model UNs engage students in debates on current global affairs by assigning one country to each student. UNASA carries out Model UNs in 13 university chapters across the country. As representatives of a particular country, each student participant must represent that country's views and interests.

The delegation met under the theme that was drawn from the United Nations 2020 initiative -renewing the UN system. The year 2020 will mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The UN2020 initiative is a civil society-led consortium calling for a United Nations 75th anniversary that includes a meaningful process of stocktaking, renewal and reforms that strengthen the organisation.

Mr Albert Geldenhuys from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation opened and welcomed the delegation to the 8th National Model of United Nations conference (#NatMUN19) under the theme “African Mobilisation in the 4th Industrial Revolution”. 

Mr Geldenhuys’ welcome note was followed by Ms Shange Buthane, Director of Humanitarian Affairs at the DIRCO. Ms Buthane reminded the delegation that “each refugee, migrant or displaced person has a story of desperation and all they have with them is hope in the humanity of those that need to assist them”. Her address was followed by the keynote address that was delivered by Ms Mpilo who highlighted the role that DIRCO plays in relation to refugees and the processes around those issues. 

The aim of the National Model of United Nations 2019 (#NatMUN19) conference was to simulate discussions and debates on issues of mobility and movement across the world today. 

The issue of movement and mobilisation is an ever-present one in South African and African domestic and international relations. These aspects of society can either be the driving force of development, or can cause the continued hindrance of human progress. This was the motivation behind the topics of the National Model United Nations for 2019. For it is only through the mobilisation of a people as a whole, that opportunities can be opened for economic and social change. Click here to read more.