South Africa has failed to champion human rights in the world but that’s changing

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes South Africa's historical failure to champion human rights in its foreign policy, contrasting its domestic constitutional principles with its international actions. The author argues that South Africa has traditionally prioritized an 'anti-imperialist' struggle over human rights, though recent actions on the UN Human Rights Council suggest a shift toward greater commitment.

• For approximately 25 years, South Africa's foreign policy has frequently contradicted the human rights principles of its own constitution. This behavior is attributed not to solidarity with other African states—some of which have stronger human rights commitments—but to a worldview that prioritizes an 'anti-imperialist' conflict between the West and the developing world over human rights.
• During its 2006-2010 and 2014-2019 terms on the UN Human Rights Council, South Africa often protected rights-abusing regimes and limited the independence of investigators. Specifically, it voted to shield regimes in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, helped the Sri Lankan government avoid accountability for war crimes, and aligned with China and Russia to attack a 2014 resolution regarding the right to peaceful protest.
• South Africa's voting record on the UN Human Rights Council shows a pattern of supporting resolutions against Israel while abstaining from or opposing incisive investigations into other countries. Out of more than 100 votes related to the democratic process, South Africa only supported a 2016 resolution on human rights defenders and two votes against hostile amendments to a 2014 civil society resolution.
• Recent evidence from 2019 indicates a positive shift in South Africa's approach. The country supported UN Human Rights Council investigations into Myanmar and the Yemeni Civil War, and it supported a Latin American-led resolution for continued reporting on the persecution of LGBTI persons, countering attempts to weaken the text.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2021). South Africa has failed to champion human rights in the world but that’s changing. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-has-failed-to-champion-human-rights-in-the-world-but-thats-changing/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. South Africa has failed to champion human rights in the world but that’s changing. 2021. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-has-failed-to-champion-human-rights-in-the-world-but-thats-changing/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=South Africa has failed to champion human rights in the world but that’s changing |date=22 April 2021 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-has-failed-to-champion-human-rights-in-the-world-but-thats-changing/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2021south, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{South Africa has failed to champion human rights in the world but that’s changing}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-has-failed-to-champion-human-rights-in-the-world-but-thats-changing/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }