Zuma to speak on rule of law at UN Assembly

President Jacob Zuma's first order of business in New York today will be a high level meeting on the rule of law. 

The forum, which takes place on the sidelines of the 67th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, is the first of its kind that will agree on a forward-looking agenda on strengthening the rule of law both nationally and internationally.

South Africa is expected to argue that for the UN to legitimately drive a rule of law agenda globally, reforms at the world's premier multilateral organization must be seen as an important prerequisite.

The rule of law is constantly undermined, be it at a national level, through issues of corruption, maladministration, or at an international level, when treaties and resolutions are undermined and disregarded by countries, such as arms embargoes, sanctions regimes or international warrants of arrest.

There is now an agreement that there are weaknesses in the system and what member states are now beginning to do is to look at what needs to happen before those weaknesses can be strengthened.

President Zuma is expected to make a strong case that UN reform is central to making the case for the rule of law.

“When you talk about the rule of law, you also talk of democracy. We should be talking about the democratization of these institutions under the UN,” said Minister of International Relations, Maite Nkoana Mashabane.

The President will also address the global economic crisis, peace in the Middle East and the African agenda but with a view that UN reform is critical to all of these.

“Those who preach to us about how we should do things right, should take the lead in making sure that we reform and expand these premier institutions, and in particular, so that we can implement resolutions,” he added.

The President will address the annual General Debate tomorrow.