policy-briefing-132-415ba156261a65b8.pdf

This policy briefing examines South Africa's shifting relationship with the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine and the International Criminal Court (ICC). It argues that while South Africa initially championed human rights as the guiding light of its foreign policy following its democratic transition, it has since adopted a more pragmatic approach. This shift is characterized by suspicion toward initiatives perceived as advancing Western interests and a tension between maintaining continental solidarity within Africa and pursuing ambitions as an emerging global power.

• South Africa's foreign policy has transitioned from a strong commitment to human rights following its 1994 democratic transition to a more pragmatic stance that views initiatives like R2P and the ICC with suspicion, as these are seen as advancing Western interests.
• The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine, adopted by the UN in September 2005, recasts state sovereignty as 'responsibility'. It involves three responsibilities: to prevent root and direct causes of conflict, to react with measures ranging from sanctions to military intervention, and to rebuild after intervention.
• South Africa's support for R2P declined following the 2011 Libyan crisis. Despite initially supporting UN Resolutions 1970 and 1973, which authorized a no-fly zone and 'all means necessary' to protect civilians, South Africa became wary of the doctrine after the resulting NATO bombing campaign undermined African Union (AU) diplomatic initiatives.
• Relations between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and African states have soured due to a perceived bias against African leaders. This is evidenced by arrest warrants and indictments against leaders from Sudan, Kenya, and Libya.
• The African Union has proposed the Malabo Protocol to establish a third chamber for the African Court of Justice and Human Rights to handle certain 'international' crimes, and Robert Mugabe announced in January 2015 that African withdrawal from the ICC would be an agenda item for the June 2015 AU Summit.
• South Africa's pursuit of a 'Pax Africana' (African solutions to African problems) and its membership in BRICS have conflicted with its initial human rights commitments. This is seen in its failure to intervene in Zimbabwe, its opposition to a resolution criticizing Myanmar's military junta, and its acquiescence to the suspension of the SADC Tribunal in August 2010.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). policy-briefing-132-415ba156261a65b8.pdf. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Policy-Briefing-132.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. policy-briefing-132-415ba156261a65b8.pdf. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Policy-Briefing-132.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=policy-briefing-132-415ba156261a65b8.pdf |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Policy-Briefing-132.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndpolicybriefing132415ba156261a65b8pdf, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{policy-briefing-132-415ba156261a65b8.pdf}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Policy-Briefing-132.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }