A critical year ahead for South Africa at the United Nations Security Council

The document outlines three primary factors for South Africa's success on the UN Security Council: restoring relations between the African Union and the Council, adopting a coherent approach to African conflicts, and securing a unified voice with other African members, specifically Morocco. It highlights the tension between South Africa's ambition for a permanent seat and the difficulty of building African consensus, citing divisions over Libya, Syria, and the election of Morocco. The author suggests a pragmatic approach to cooperation with Morocco, potentially using the instability in Sudan as a starting point for alliance-building.

• South Africa's success during its second year on the UN Security Council depends on three factors: restoring relations between the African Union (AU) and the Council, implementing a more methodical approach to African conflicts, and achieving a unified voice with other African members, particularly Morocco.
• South Africa aims to use its January presidency of the Security Council to promote increased cooperation between the UN Security Council and the African Union, a move linked to its long-term goal of securing a permanent seat for Africa on the Council.
• Building a cohesive African position is hindered by the AU's slow decision-making and internal divisions, as evidenced by differing stances on the no-fly zone in Libya and votes regarding Syria, where South Africa abstained while Nigeria and Gabon supported a European-drafted resolution.
• Morocco's election to the Security Council presents a challenge because it is not an AU member due to the Western Sahara dispute; however, Morocco's status as the second largest African foreign direct investor on the continent has helped it build strong diplomatic and economic ties, particularly in West and Central Africa.
• The document recommends a pragmatic approach to cooperation with Morocco, suggesting that the instability in Sudan could serve as a starting point for alliances, leveraging Morocco's membership in the Arab League and its relations with Sudan.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2012). A critical year ahead for South Africa at the United Nations Security Council. https://saiia.org.za/research/a-critical-year-ahead-for-south-africa-at-the-united-nations-security-council/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. A critical year ahead for South Africa at the United Nations Security Council. 2012. https://saiia.org.za/research/a-critical-year-ahead-for-south-africa-at-the-united-nations-security-council/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=A critical year ahead for South Africa at the United Nations Security Council |date=24 January 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/a-critical-year-ahead-for-south-africa-at-the-united-nations-security-council/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2012critical, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{A critical year ahead for South Africa at the United Nations Security Council}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/a-critical-year-ahead-for-south-africa-at-the-united-nations-security-council/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }