South Africa's Foreign Policy Objectives: Reviewing the White Paper

This research paper reviews a 'final draft' White Paper dated 13 May 2011 titled 'Building a Better World: The Diplomacy of Ubuntu', which outlines South Africa's foreign policy objectives. The author characterizes the document as a 'mechanical rehash' of existing policy that relies on clichés and platitudes without specifying how its objectives will be achieved.

• The 2011 White Paper, titled 'Building a Better World: The Diplomacy of Ubuntu', is described as a repetitive document that lacks specific implementation strategies for its listed objectives and largely mirrors existing foreign policy.
• The White Paper introduces the intention to establish the South African Development Partnership Agency to centralize and record development assistance provided by various government departments, as previous costs and beneficiaries were not centrally trackable.
• The document proposes the creation of the South African Council on International Relations (SACOIR) to serve as a forum for interaction with the Department on the development and implementation of foreign policy, though the document provides no details on its operation or constitution.
• The author notes that the White Paper does not introduce new focuses—maintaining the existing African Agenda, South-South Co-operation, North-South Dialogue, Multilateral and Economic Diplomacy, and bilateral relations—nor does it identify specific countries of special importance.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2011). South Africa's Foreign Policy Objectives: Reviewing the White Paper. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africas-foreign-policy-objectives-reviewing-the-white-paper/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. South Africa's Foreign Policy Objectives: Reviewing the White Paper. 2011. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africas-foreign-policy-objectives-reviewing-the-white-paper/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=South Africa's Foreign Policy Objectives: Reviewing the White Paper |date=31 August 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africas-foreign-policy-objectives-reviewing-the-white-paper/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2011south, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{South Africa's Foreign Policy Objectives: Reviewing the White Paper}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africas-foreign-policy-objectives-reviewing-the-white-paper/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }