Since Emmerson Mnangagwa came into power in November 2017, he has been courting the international community to attract foreign investments into Zimbabwe in order to resurrect the country’s battered economy.
Since assuming office as President of Zimbabwe after a military coup ousted Robert Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa has made several gestures of reform and has engaged key western interests in a bid to ease sanctions and facilitate re-integration into the international arena.
This week, South Africa will host the tenth annual gathering of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).
2018 is a key year for the BRICS. Not only is it a decade since the first BRICS meeting, it is also the first time the bloc will directly address gender disparities through the proposed creation of the BRICS Gender and Women’s Forum, championed by South Africa in its capacity as chair.
The year 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Though the PRC is now South Africa’s largest trading partner and is a co-member of the BRICS grouping, relations between Pretoria and Beijing were not always so close.
South Africa will host the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group for the bloc’s 10th summit from July 25 to 27. South Africa’s inclusion in the group has long been questioned, as by most indicators – economic, geographic, and demographic – it is dwarfed by its BRICS counterparts.
From 25 to 27 July 2018, South Africa is hosting its second BRICS summit and the 10th since the BRICS’ establishment. Since joining the BRICS in 2010, South Africa has added its weight to global economic governance reform, specifically of the Bretton Woods institutions (BWIs), with the view to make them more representative and responsive to developing country concerns.
Some 2,000 representatives of civil society, government and the tech community from over 70 countries met in the beautiful and sunny capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, from 17 to 19 July to discuss progress in governmental transparency and accountability during the 5th Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit. It is worth reflecting on what this initiative is and what it and its counter-parts aim to achieve.
The BRICS bloc has contributed to global governance by establishing multiple platforms that enhance dialogue and cooperation. In 2018 a forum dedicated to the empowerment of women will be added. Where do the BRICS countries stand in terms of gender parity?
This briefing highlights Africa’s priorities, South Africa’s efforts in promoting these within the BRICS, and challenges and opportunities in Africa–BRICS cooperation.
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