2017 address by SAIIA National Chairman Mr Fred T Phaswana

In a 2017 address, SAIIA National Chairman Fred T Phaswana discusses the erosion of international cooperation and multilateralism due to rising populism, protectionism, and political instability in Western societies and South Africa.

• The global political landscape is experiencing a shift toward protectionism, insularity, and populism, which threatens the international cooperation required to maintain global public goods, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris climate change agreement.
• While multilateralism has historically supported security, trade, and finance, its effectiveness is declining as the world becomes more multipolar and decision-making becomes more difficult.
• South Africa's international reputation and its role as a global player have been damaged by domestic political instability, including battles to protect the President from impeachment and the influence of populist politics.
• The South African government's intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is viewed as a significant blow to the country's commitment to global norms and the fight against state impunity, especially given the emasculation of the SADC Tribunal.
• South Africa faces several strategic economic and diplomatic imperatives, including preparing for the post-AGOA phase of trade with the US (as AGOA runs to 2025), negotiating a better deal with the UK following Brexit, and making the Tripartite Free Trade Area functional.

APA

Phaswana, F. T. (2017). 2017 address by SAIIA National Chairman Mr Fred T Phaswana. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/news/2017-address-by-saiia-national-chairman-mr-fred-t-phaswana/

Chicago

Phaswana, Fred T. 2017 address by SAIIA National Chairman Mr Fred T Phaswana. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/news/2017-address-by-saiia-national-chairman-mr-fred-t-phaswana/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Phaswana |first1=Fred T |title=2017 address by SAIIA National Chairman Mr Fred T Phaswana |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=23 February 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/news/2017-address-by-saiia-national-chairman-mr-fred-t-phaswana/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{phaswana20172017, author = {Phaswana, Fred T}, title = {{2017 address by SAIIA National Chairman Mr Fred T Phaswana}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/news/2017-address-by-saiia-national-chairman-mr-fred-t-phaswana/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }