REMARKS BY DEPUTY MINISTER EBRAHIM AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ON ‘SOUTH AFRICA AND THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL: PROMOTING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA'

In a speech delivered on 3 September 2012, Deputy Minister Ebrahim outlined South Africa's foreign policy and its role within the UN Security Council (UNSC), specifically regarding peace and security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). He advocated for the pacific settlement of disputes over military intervention, criticized the use of the veto by permanent UNSC members, and called for the reform of the Council to include permanent representation for Africa and Latin America.

• South Africa supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating for a viable and contiguous Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, existing side-by-side with Israel within internationally recognized borders.
• The document asserts that illegal settlement expansion by Israel in occupied Palestinian territories undermines the possibility of a negotiated settlement and that the blockade of Gaza creates inhuman conditions, potentially making Gaza unlivable by 2020.
• South Africa criticizes the UN Security Council's inefficiency, noting that since 2000, permanent members have vetoed 17 resolutions on the Middle East, with the United States casting ten of those vetoes, nine of which concerned the Israel-Palestine situation.
• Regarding Libya, South Africa supported Resolution 1973 to establish a no-fly-zone to prevent mass atrocities in Benghazi, but explicitly objected to the use of foreign military intervention for the purpose of regime change.
• South Africa views the situation in Syria as a civil war where all parties are in the "logic of war" and are violating international humanitarian law, and argues that a military solution would expose sectarian fault lines similar to the situation in Iraq.
• The speaker argues that the UN Security Council's antiquated structure and the narrow interests of its permanent members lead to selective action and undermine the legitimacy of the United Nations.
• South Africa calls for the reform of the UN Security Council to include permanent membership for Africa and Latin America to make the body more representative and legitimate.

APA

Ebrahim (2012). REMARKS BY DEPUTY MINISTER EBRAHIM AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ON ‘SOUTH AFRICA AND THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL: PROMOTING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA'. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/deputy-minister-ebrahim-final-saiia-speech-mena-and-unsc-03-09-2012.pdf

Chicago

Ebrahim. REMARKS BY DEPUTY MINISTER EBRAHIM AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ON ‘SOUTH AFRICA AND THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL: PROMOTING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA'. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2012. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/deputy-minister-ebrahim-final-saiia-speech-mena-and-unsc-03-09-2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Ebrahim |title=REMARKS BY DEPUTY MINISTER EBRAHIM AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ON ‘SOUTH AFRICA AND THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL: PROMOTING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA' |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=3 September 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/deputy-minister-ebrahim-final-saiia-speech-mena-and-unsc-03-09-2012.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{ebrahim2012remarks, author = {Ebrahim}, title = {{REMARKS BY DEPUTY MINISTER EBRAHIM AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ON ‘SOUTH AFRICA AND THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL: PROMOTING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA'}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/deputy-minister-ebrahim-final-saiia-speech-mena-and-unsc-03-09-2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }