Statement on the occasion of the inscription of the first three of South Africa's four World Heritage Sites, 1 December 1999

Mr Chairman, on behalf of my delegation, I wish to express my government's sincere gratitude, especially for President Thabo Mbeki and former President Nelson Mandela, to the World Heritage Committee for inscribing South Africa's cultural and natural jewels to the prestigious World Heritage List. I also wish to extend my appreciation to the work done by ICOMOS, IUCN and the World Heritage Center, as well as the Nordic World Heritage Office and Mr Munjeri for their technical assistance.

The inscription of our sites today is an ongoing welcome of our country to the structures and activities of the community of nations. This is not just a Christmas present as I mentioned yesterday, but a big millennium present from the international community. We appreciate it, Mr Chairman.

To demonstrate its commitment to the Convention and conservation of heritage for the benefit of present and future generations, my government has recently passed legislation focusing specifically on the implementation of the Convention in South Africa.

Mr Chairman, I also wish to congratulate all states parties whose sites have been inscribed on the list, especially our colleagues from Nigeria, whom we are looking forward to working with in the region.

My government supports the global strategy initiative and hopes to participate in all regional programmes which will ensure a balanced World Heritage List as envisaged by this Committee.

As already mentioned, Robben Island represents the triumph of the human spirit over the forces of evil, it is therefore a shrine for all the people of the world. The second of our cultural sites, popularly known as the "Cradle of Humankind", reminds us of the profound links that bind all of humankind across space and time. This is truly a historical occasion to celebrate and we invite all of you to visit your roots.