CAPE TOWN, South Africa (PANA)�President Thabo Mbeki June 13 commemorated his first year in office, saying he would lead the fight to make the voice of Africa and its southern hemisphere neighbors heard on the world stage as they risked being swamped by globalization.

He said South Africa would continue to actively engage the rest of the world to make whatever contribution it can to ensure that the process of globalization impacts positively on those who are poor and in dire need of a better life.

He told the National Assembly in Cape Town that central to these processes must be the objective of reversing the marginalization of Africa and the rest of the South, and therefore compensation for the reduction of national sovereignty by increasing the capacity of the South to impact on the system of global governance.

Mr. Mbeki said the critical question is how humanity should respond to the irreversible process of globalization while addressing the fundamental challenges that face the bulk of humanity.

These include poverty, underdevelopment, the growing North-South gap, racism and xenophobia, gender discrimination, ill health, violent conflicts and the threat to the environment.

"These problems cannot be solved except in the context of the global human society to which we belong. We must and will continue actively to engage the rest of the world to make whatever contribution we can to ensure that the process of globalization impacts positively on those, like the millions of our people, who are poor and in dire need of a better life," Mr. Mbeki said.

"This engagement must necessarily address among other things, the restructuring of the UN, including the Security Council, a review of the functioning of such bodies as the IMF and the World Bank, the determination of agenda and the manner of operation of the WTO (World Trade Organization) and an assessment of the role of the G7," he said.

He added that central to these processes must be the objective of reversing the marginalization of Africa and the rest of the South, and therefore compensation for the reduction of national sovereignty by increasing the capacity of the South to impact on the system of global governance.

"As a consequence of this, we will soon start working jointly with other African countries and our partners in the developed world to elaborate a common agenda for a Special Program for African Renewal.

"We and billions across the globe are in need of the caring societies that will create a better life for all, a life that the millions will not merely hear about, but one they will themselves live and experience.

"It is towards this end that we are engaged in a process of the fundamental restructuring of our state and system of governance, confident that, whatever the problems, we will succeed," Mbeki added.