Austria in the UN Security Council African experience, issues and prospects

The document details a seminar where Austrian and South African representatives, alongside academics, discussed the challenges of peacekeeping in Africa, the legitimacy of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine, the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the necessity of UN Security Council reform. It highlights the different strategic positions of Austria as a facilitator and South Africa as a regional power, while analyzing the 'Prodi report' on UN-AU peacekeeping cooperation.

• South Africa's tenure in the UN Security Council (2007/08) was viewed as a sign of its international standing post-apartheid, with its foreign policy characterized by a 'realist paradigm from the South' that sought to engage the global order to reform it.
• Austria, acting as a non-permanent member for 2009 and 2010, aims to serve as an impartial facilitator focusing on the rule of law, human rights, and the concerns of smaller Member States, while continuing its role as a major troop contributor to UN operations.
• The Prodi report suggests improving UN-AU peacekeeping through a multi-donor trust fund based on African ownership and the temporary use of UN-assessed funding for AU operations for up to six months, provided there is Security Council and General Assembly approval.
• The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is viewed with ambivalence; some see it as a 'trojan horse' for Western imposition of 'liberal peace', while others view it as a noble idea that could address shortcomings in Chapter VII of the UN Charter if given time to evolve.
• While some African leaders criticize the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an imperialistic Western initiative, the document argues this is unsubstantiated given that 30 African states have ratified the Rome Statute and three of the four African investigations resulted from state self-referrals.
• The UN Security Council's legitimacy is perceived to be under threat, with calls for reform including the African position of the Ezulwini Consensus, which seeks two permanent and five non-permanent seats for Africa.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Austria in the UN Security Council African experience, issues and prospects. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUSUNSEMREPFEB09.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Austria in the UN Security Council African experience, issues and prospects. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUSUNSEMREPFEB09.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Austria in the UN Security Council African experience, issues and prospects |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUSUNSEMREPFEB09.PDF |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndaustria, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Austria in the UN Security Council African experience, issues and prospects}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUSUNSEMREPFEB09.PDF}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }