DIRCO Events
Event Calender of
This document contains a list of major international and departmental events for the year 2016. Information on a specific event can be accessed by clicking on a link, where available. Although all reasonable care is taken to maintain and update this information, users should please check with the Department on the date and venue of an event before taking any action in respect of that event.
2018 Calendar of Events |
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- 1 Jan: New Year’s Day
- 9 Jan: African Union (AU) Ministerial Conference on Migration, Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco
- 11 Jan: Working Visit by President Uhuru Kenyatta, of Kenya to Durban, South Africa
- 18 Jan: South Africa – India Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) and the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), New Delhi, India
- 23-26 Jan: World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, Davos, Switzerland
- 28 Jan: World Leprosy Day
- 28-29 Jan: 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
- 2 Feb: World Wetlands Day
- 4 Feb: First Meeting of the BRICS Sherpas and Sous Sherpas, Cape Town, South Africa
- 6 Feb: Closing Remarks by Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane at the First Meeting of the BRICS Sherpas and Sous Sherpas, Cape Town, South Africa
- 16 Feb: State of the Nation Address to a Joint Sitting of Parliament by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Cape Town, South Africa
- 20 Feb: World Day of Social Justice
- 21 Feb: 2018 National Budget by Minister of Finance, Malusi Gigaba, Parliament, Cape Town, South Africa
- 21 Feb: International Mother Language Day
- 26-28 Feb: High-Level Segment of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Meetings, Geneva, Switzerland
- 28 Feb: Inaugural Meeting of the Drought Core Group (DCG), Pretoria, South Africa
- March: Human Rights Month
- March: TB Awareness Month
- 8 Mar: International Women’s Day
- 8 Mar: World Kidney Day
- 9 Mar: Second Session of the Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC) between South Africa and Seychelles, Pretoria, South Africa
- 11-14 Mar: World Glaucoma Week
- 12 Mar: Commonwealth Day
- 13 Mar: Meeting between Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Minister Joseph Malanji of Zambia, Pretoria, South Africa
- 15 Mar: World Consumer Rights Day
- 19-21 Mar: Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) Summit, Kigali, Rwanda
- 20 Mar: African Continental Free Trade Area Business Forum, Rwanda, Kigali
- 20 Mar: SADC Council of Ministers Consultation Meeting, Kigali, Rwanda
- 20 Mar: World Oral Health Day
- 21 Mar: Human Rights Day (South Africa)
- 21 Mar: World Poetry Day
- 21 Mar: World Down Syndrome Day
- 21 Mar: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- 22 Mar: Meeting between Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and the Diplomatic Corps, Cape Town, South Africa
- 22 Mar: Fourth Annual Ubuntu Awards, Cape Town, South Africa
- 22 Mar: World Water Day
- 23 Mar: South Africa – Norway High Level Consultation Meeting, Pretoria, South Africa
- 24 Mar: World TB Day
- 25 Mar: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
- 26-27 Mar: SADC Council of Ministers Meeting, Pretoria, South Africa
- 28 Mar: SADC – European Union (EU) Political Dialogue, Pretoria, South Africa
- 29 Mar: South Africa – Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Technical Assistance and the Exchange of Notes on Humanitarian Assistance to the Western Saharawi refugee camps, Pretoria, South Africa
- 30 Mar: Good Friday
- April: Freedom Month
- 2 Apr: Family Day
- 2 Apr: World Autism Awareness Day
- 4 Apr: International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
- 5-6 Apr: 18th Mid-term Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan
- 7 Apr: World Health Day
- 17 Apr: World Haemophilia Day
- 19-20 Apr: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2018), London, United Kingdom
- 22 Apr: International Mother Earth Day
- 23 Apr: Public Lecture by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) at the University of Limpopo on South Africa’s hosting of the 10th BRICS Summt, Turfloop, South Africa
- 23 Apr: World Book and Copyright Day
- 24 Apr: SADC Double Troika Summit of Heads of State and Government, Luanda, Republic of Angola
- 25 Apr: World Malaria Day
- 26 Apr: World Intellectual Property Day
- 27 Apr: Freedom Day (South Africa)
- 28 Apr: World Veterinary Day
- May: Energy Month
- May: Africa Month
- May: Anti-Tobacco Campaign Month
- 1 May: Workers Day (South Africa)
- 3 May: World Press Freedom Day
- 10 May: World Move for Health Day
- 12 May: World Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Day
- 12 May: International Nurses’ Day
- 15 May: Budget Vote Speech by Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Cape Town, South Africa
- 15 May: Visit by Deputy President David Mabuza as Special Envoy, to Moscow, Russia
- 15-16 May: Global Commission on the Future of Work of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland
- 15 May: International Day of Families
- 17 May: World Hypertension Day
- 17 May: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
- 18 May: International Museum Day
- 20-21 May: G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 21 May: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
- 22 May: International Day for Biological Diversity
- 25 May: Africa Day
- 28 May: International Day of Action for Women’s Health
- 31 May: World No Tobacco Day
- June: Youth Month (South Africa)
- June: Environment Month (South Africa)
- June: World Blood Donor Month
- 3 Jun: International Cancer Survivors Day
- 4 Jun: International Day of Innocent Children – Victims of Aggression
- 4-10 Jun: Heart Rhythm Week
- 5 Jun: World Environment Day
- 8 Jun: World Oceans Day
- 13 Jun: International Albinism Awareness Day
- 14 Jun: World Blood Donor Day
- 15 Jun: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
- 16 Jun: Youth Day (South Africa)
- 17 Jun: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
- 20 Jun: World Refugee Day
- 23 Jun: Africa Public Service Day
- 26 Jun: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
- July: Nelson Mandela Month
- July: Moral Regeneration Month
- 11 Jul: World Population Day
- 18 Jul: Nelson Mandela Day
- 25-27 Jul: BRICS Summit 2018, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 28 Jul: World Hepatitis Day
- August: Women’s Month (South Africa)
- August: National Month of Deaf People (South Africa)
- 9 Aug: Women’s Day (South Africa)
- 9 Aug: International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
- 12 Aug: International Youth Day
- 15 Aug-15 Oct: Bone Marrow Stem Cell Donation and Leukaemia Awareness Month
- 31 Aug: African Traditional Medicine Day
- September: Heritage Month (South Africa)
- September: Tourism Month (South Africa)
- September: Public Service Month (South Africa)
- September: Heart Awareness Month (South Africa)
- September: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (South Africa)
- September: Oral Health Month (South Africa)
- September: Month of Deaf People (South Africa)
- September: Albinism Awareness Month (South Africa)
- 1-7 Sep: Arbor Week
- 8 Sep: International Literacy Day
- 9 Sep: World Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Day
- 10 Sep: World Suicide Prevention Day
- 15 Sep: International Day of Democracy
- 16 Sep: International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
- 21 Sep: International Day of Peace 2018
- 21 Sep: World Alzheimer’s Day
- 23 Sep-18 Oct: Eye Care Awareness Month
- 24 Sep: Heritage Day (South Africa)
- 26 Sep: World Environmental Health Day
- 28 Sep: World Rabies Day
- 29 Sep: World Heart Day
- 30 Sep: International Translations Day
- 30 Sep-6 Oct: Older Persons Week
- October: Marine Month
- October: Mental Awareness Month
- October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- 1 Oct: World Habitat Day
- 1 Oct: International Day of Older Persons
- 9 Oct: World Post Day
- 10 Oct: World Mental Health Day
- 12 Oct: World Sight Day
- 12 Oct: World Arthritis Day
- 14 Oct: World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
- 15 Oct: International Day of Rural Women
- 15 Oct: Global Handwashing Day
- 16 Oct : World Food Day
- 16 Oct: World Spine Day
- 17 Oct: World Trauma Day
- 17 Oct: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
- 18 Oct: International Day of the Girl Child
- 20 Oct: World Osteoporosis Day
- 24 Oct: World Polio Day
- 27 Oct: World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
- 29 Oct: World Stroke Day
- 31 Oct: World Cities Day
- 6 Nov: SADC Malaria Day
- 6 Nov: International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
- 8 Nov: World Quality Day
- 10 Nov: World Science Day for Peace and Development
- 18 Nov: World Remembrance Day for Victims of Road Accidents
- 20 Nov: Africa Industrialisation Day
- 20 Nov: Universal Children’s Day
- 20 Nov: World Head Injury Awareness Day
- 21 Nov: World Fisheries Day
- 25 Nov: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
- 25 Nov-10 Dec: 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children
- 1 Dec: World AIDS Day
- 2 Dec: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
- 3 Dec: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- 5 Dec: International Volunteers Day
- 7 Dec: International Civil Aviation Day
- 9 Dec: International Anti-Corruption Day
- 10 Dec: International Human Rights Day
- 16 Dec: Day of Reconciliation (South Africa)
- 17 Dec Public Holiday (South Africa)
- 18 Dec: International Migrants Day
- 25 Dec: Christmas Day
- 26 Dec: Day of Goodwill