Michael de Laine

Nordic, African foreign ministers meet to discuss racism, climate, security

By Michael de Laine, Copenhagen, 10 March 2009

Foreign Ministers from the five Nordic and ten African countries are meeting in Denmark to discuss Durban II and racism, climate, and peace and security.

The Foreign Ministers from the five Nordic and ten African countries are meeting in Helsingør in Denmark on 11 and 12 March to discuss Durban II and racism, climate, and peace and security.

Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Per Stig Møller will host the eighth meeting of foreign ministers of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland) and Benin, Botswana, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Lesotho, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria and Senegal.

Møller will use the meeting to discuss the coming UN review conference on racism (Durban II), to be held in Geneva on 20-24 April.

This conference - a follow-up to the UN’s world racism conference in Durban in 2001 (Durban I) - will assess the implementation of the commitments in the area of racism that the UN members that took part in Durban I with a view to furthering these efforts against racism, discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance nationally, regionally and internationally.

Climate and Energy Minister Connie Hedegaard will tell the foreign ministers of the challenges facing nations in the run-up to COP15, the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December, and what Denmark expects form COP15.

Møller will present a report on the climate and security, with a special focus on how climate change will affect the security situation in Africa.

The meeting will also discuss how the Nordic countries can contribute more to the African Union’s efforts in connection with coming elections, thus strengthening Africa’s ability to manage its own challenges, including mechanisms for speedy intervention in humanitarian conflicts to protect civilian populations.

A number of other topical foreign policy subjects - such as the latest developments in Zimbabwe, Sudan and Somalia - will also be on the agenda.

“This meeting between Nordic and African Foreign Ministers is an important forum for informal dialogue between a number of African countries and the Nordic countries about global matters of common interest,” said the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“Among the subjects to be discussed are climate problems and the connection between climate change and security,” Per Stig Møller added. “Climate change can exacerbate existing conflicts in Africa. We have a common interest in meeting this challenge. This requires innovation and strengthened collaboration across continents.”

Møller said another of the subjects will be the racism review conference.

“For Denmark it is vital that the focus of Durban II remains on the real racism problems in the world,” he said.