Coming into Our Own: an Analysis of South Africa’s voting patterns and the achievement of its foreign policy goals in the United Nations Security Council

The analysis finds that South Africa became more confident during its second UN Security Council (UNSC) term, increasing its co-sponsorship of resolutions and strengthening cooperation with other African members, as well as North-South and South-South partners. A central achievement was the adoption of resolution 2033 in January 2012, which focused on strengthening the relationship between the UN and regional organizations like the African Union (AU). The document notes a significant increase in the proportion of UNSC resolutions concerning Africa, rising from 56% during South Africa's first term to 65% in 2011. While South Africa generally aligned its votes with the AU and its African agenda, it faced criticism for its support of Resolution 1973 on Libya and its opposition to sanctions on Zimbabwe. The author concludes that while South Africa has successfully promoted the African agenda, its long-term goal of securing a permanent seat on a reformed UNSC remains uncertain due to regional competition and skepticism regarding Council reform.

• South Africa demonstrated increased confidence and cooperation during its second UNSC term, co-sponsoring 10 resolutions in 2011 compared to only two in 2007 and four in 2008. All 10 resolutions in 2011 were co-sponsored with Nigeria and Gabon, and many included partners from the North (UK, France, Portugal, Germany, USA) and South (India, Lebanon).
• There was a marked increase in the volume of UN Security Council business focused on Africa; in 2011, 65% of the 66 total resolutions (43 resolutions) involved African issues, whereas during South Africa's first tenure (2007-2008), 56% of resolutions involved the continent.
• South Africa successfully advanced its 'African Agenda' by promoting closer ties between the UN and the African Union (AU), culminating in the adoption of resolution 2033 following a High-Level debate convened by South Africa during its January 2012 Council Presidency.
• South Africa's voting record shows a preference for regional mediation and AU/SADC positions over human rights pillars in specific cases, such as voting against a failed draft resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe and abstaining from a resolution on Syria due to a perceived "hidden agenda of regime change".
• The document identifies a strategic tension regarding UNSC reform; South Africa advocates for democratic reform and a permanent African seat, using a strategy of "almost back-to-back" non-permanent terms to maintain representation, though its status as the preferred African representative is challenged by the economic rise of Nigeria.

APA

Bowland, C. (2012). Coming into Our Own: an Analysis of South Africa’s voting patterns and the achievement of its foreign policy goals in the United Nations Security Council. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Coming-into-Its-Own-Analysis-of-South-Africas-voting-patterns.pdf

Chicago

Bowland, Cayley. Coming into Our Own: an Analysis of South Africa’s voting patterns and the achievement of its foreign policy goals in the United Nations Security Council. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2012. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Coming-into-Its-Own-Analysis-of-South-Africas-voting-patterns.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bowland |first1=Cayley |title=Coming into Our Own: an Analysis of South Africa’s voting patterns and the achievement of its foreign policy goals in the United Nations Security Council |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=9 May 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Coming-into-Its-Own-Analysis-of-South-Africas-voting-patterns.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bowland2012coming, author = {Bowland, Cayley}, title = {{Coming into Our Own: an Analysis of South Africa’s voting patterns and the achievement of its foreign policy goals in the United Nations Security Council}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Coming-into-Its-Own-Analysis-of-South-Africas-voting-patterns.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }