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

This research paper analyzes South Africa's voting patterns and foreign policy achievements during its first (2007-2008) and second (2011-2012) terms as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The author assesses the country's progress toward its 'African Agenda,' including goals of South-South and North-South cooperation and the pursuit of permanent African representation on the Council.

• South Africa demonstrated increased confidence and cooperation during its second term on the UNSC, evidenced by a significant rise in co-sponsored resolutions. In 2011 alone, South Africa co-sponsored 10 resolutions, compared to only two in 2007 and four in 2008. These 2011 resolutions were all co-sponsored with other African representatives, Nigeria and Gabon, as well as partners from the North and South, including India, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Germany, and the United States.
• There has been a marked increase in the proportion of UNSC resolutions focused on African issues. In 2011, 65% of the 66 total resolutions (43 in total) concerned Africa, whereas during South Africa's first tenure (2007-2008), the percentage of resolutions involving the continent was 56%.
• South Africa uses the high volume of African issues on the UNSC agenda to argue for a permanent African seat on the Council. Deputy Minister Ebrahim I Ebrahim noted that over 70% of deliberations center on African conflicts and nearly 80% of UN peacekeepers are deployed in Africa, yet no African country holds a permanent seat.
• South Africa's voting behavior generally aligns with its 'African Agenda' and the positions of the African Union (AU), often prioritizing regional mediation over other pillars like human rights. For example, South Africa voted against a resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe, citing the positions of the AU and SADC and its own role as a mediator.
• A major diplomatic achievement for South Africa was the adoption of Resolution 2033 in January 2012. This followed a High-Level debate convened by South Africa during its Council Presidency focused on strengthening the relationship between the UN and regional organizations, specifically the AU.
• Despite successes in cooperation, South Africa faces challenges regarding the long-term viability of its strategy for permanent representation. While it has successfully pursued almost back-to-back non-permanent terms, the economic rise of Nigeria may challenge South Africa's position as the primary African driver on international issues.

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} }