SOUTH AFRICA BACKS UN RESOLUTION ON MYANMAR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION

South Africa’s about-face follows the criticism it drew earlier in the session for abstaining on a vote condemning human rights violations in Myanmar.

International Relations and Cooperations Minister Lindiwe Sisulu. Picture: GCIS

Jean-Jacques Cornish
Eyewitness News

PRETORIA - South Africa has voted for a United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu calls this a new dawn in South African foreign policy and a return to its founding principles of standing against human rights violations.

South Africa’s about-face follows the criticism it drew earlier in the session for abstaining on a vote condemning human rights violations in Myanmar.

Sisulu says South Africa's support for the resolution is in line with its new way of approaching resolutions in all multilateral bodies.

All resolutions on country-specific situations will be assessed with different stakeholders involved.

Sisulu says she’ll hold a seminar with diplomats early next year to discuss the UN Security Council programme and South Africa's obligations within the UN system.

(Edited by Mihlali Ntsabo)