South Africa and the United Nations

The document assesses South Africa's role as an emerging global actor in peace and security, specifically its interactions with the UN peacebuilding architecture (PBC, PBSO, and PBF). It highlights South Africa's experience in mediation and peacekeeping in countries like the DRC and Burundi, while noting a lack of systematic staffing of South Africans in the UN system. The paper emphasizes the potential of South-South cooperation, exemplified by the IBSA Fund, and recommends that South Africa leverage the 2015 UN peacebuilding review to promote African perspectives and national ownership of peace processes.

• South Africa is viewed as a professional and competent partner in peacekeeping and peacebuilding, though it is perceived as lacking decisiveness because decisions are frequently referred back to Pretoria.
• There is a noted absence of a systematic strategy for placing South African nationals in UN positions, particularly at junior levels, which contrasts with the approach taken by other BRICS nations.
• The IBSA Fund is regarded as a unique 'laboratory of practice' for South-South cooperation because it is demand-driven, takes more risks than traditional Northern donors, and maintains a more horizontal relationship between participating countries.
• South Africa has actively promoted the Ezulwini Consensus (2005) to advocate for greater African representation and reform within the UN Security Council.
• The UN peacebuilding architecture, consisting of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), and Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), has been criticized for failing to be sufficiently relevant or effective.
• South Africa has a significant opportunity to influence the 2015 UN peacebuilding review, especially as the head of a newly created African caucus intended to integrate regional perspectives into the UN's work.
• The Maseru Declaration on a Framework for Peaceful Development in Africa (2013) serves as an example of efforts to link the SADC, the African Union, and the UNDP to strengthen national capacities for peace.

APA

Lucey, A., de Carvalho, G., & Gida, S. (2014). South Africa and the United Nations. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper268.pdf

Chicago

Lucey, Amanda, Gustavo de Carvalho, and Sibongile Gida. South Africa and the United Nations. Institute for Security Studies, 2014. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper268.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lucey |first1=Amanda |last2=de Carvalho |first2=Gustavo |last3=Gida |first3=Sibongile |title=South Africa and the United Nations |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=September 2014 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper268.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lucey2014south, author = {Lucey, Amanda and de Carvalho, Gustavo and Gida, Sibongile}, title = {{South Africa and the United Nations}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2014}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper268.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }