Zuma to hold media conference on BRICs Summit

(Image: GCIS)

The briefing will be held at the Sefako M Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Pretoria.

Earlier this month, Acting Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams said Cabinet had noted the country's state of readiness to host the summit.

"It is the brain-trust that serves to enrich policy development within BRICs and in the BRICs countries. Cabinet also noted the state of readiness to host the summit and that the preparations are at an advance stage," said Williams.

BRICs is an acronym for the powerful grouping of the world's leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The aim of South Africa hosting the conference is to harness the country's membership to benefit the entire continent.

South Africa officially became a member of BRICs on 24 December 2010, after being formally invited by the BRIC countries to join the group.

South Africa's position going into the summit is to align BRICs member countries' interests in supporting the integration agenda in Africa, and not just focusing on access to the country's resources.

Leading to the summit, the Departments of Higher Education and Training (DHET) International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Higher Education South Africa (HESA) and the Durban University of Technology, hosted a BRICs Academic Forum.

The forum, held under the theme 'BRICs and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialisation', was hosted from 10-13 March in Durban.

During the course of the summit, member countries will launch the business council. Experts from the BRICs group of countries have also recommended the group to create their own development bank and rating agency for educational establishments.

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies has previously said that the promotion of trade and industry would form part of the BRICs Business Council.

Meanwhile, Oxfam and Nepad (New Partnership for Africa's Development), under the auspices of the Africa Platform for Development Effectiveness (APDev), will host a public policy dialogue in Durban on Monday.

The sharing of knowledge and discussion of issues relating to development cooperation between BRICs countries and the rest of Africa, with a specific focus on development financing, are some of the objectives of the dialogue.

The BRICs Policy Dialogue will bring together stakeholders from BRICs countries and key stakeholders from Africa, including representatives from the African Union, among others.