Permanent Mission of South Africa on Item VI Female voice, in English. Thank you madam Chairperson. Madam Chairperson, all those who are familiar with the history of South Africa know that the majority of the population lived in an inhumane system of apartheid that had no respect for human rights. The injustices of apartheid on the majority of South Africans render them landless in their own country and they suffer due to the lack of enjoyment of both economic social and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights. South Africa has made a clean break with the past, and is now in the process of transformation, which is predicated on the core principles of social cohesion and economic integration and national identity for all South Africans. The South African Government has taken very deliberate policy positions that [upheld] the equality and human dignity of all south Africans as well as non-discrimination. Regardless of the grouping or communities to which they belong human rights of all South Africans are no exception, which entrenched in the constitution. The enactment of the national legislation to give effect to the constitutional provisions was done through the Promotion of Equality and Prevention and Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000, Promotion of Access to Justice Act 3 of 2000 and the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 all end at giving effect to the principle of non-discrimination and the promotion of equality the elimination of unfair discrimination, the prevention and prohibition of hate speech and to give effect to just administrative action and access to information. These rights do not exist only in our constitution, but have been involved successfully through our judicial system including the Afriforum. We continue to implement our constitutional provisions in-spite of poverty and other developmental challenges. To put this into context, the Apartheid regime provided for 6 million to the exclusion of the rest of the population of African, Indians and coloured. The current government has inherited a population with a huge wealth of poverty divide and has had to provide for the additional 40 million. Most of whom have never had access to basic services such as safe drinking water, electricity and [not clear] facilities. Given the need for redress of the historical imbalances, the post apartheid constitution contains an imperative that legislative and other measures have taken to promote equality and advance persons who may have been adhesively affected by unfair discrimination. Consistent with international human rights law the South African have affirmative action policies places an obligation to non-state institution and businesses to give preference to member of previously disadvantaged groups inter-alia African, Indians, coloured, persons with disability and women including African women who live in a patriarchal society. I thank you.