Principles with Pragmatism: Insights for African Foreign Ministries’ UN Strategies

This report, developed through a collaborative workshop in September 2025, provides strategic recommendations for African foreign ministries to enhance their influence at the United Nations. It argues for a shift from 'principles to pragmatism,' emphasizing the need for institutionalized coordination, financial self-reliance within the African Union (AU), and a more flexible approach to UN Security Council (UNSC) reform to avoid diplomatic deadlock.

• The international system is experiencing 'hyper-regionalisation' and a fracture of the post-Cold War multilateral order, leaving Africa at risk of being a 'rule-taker' rather than a 'rule-maker'. Some participants compared the current state of the UN to the League of Nations before its collapse, suggesting that if great powers continue to abandon multilateral norms, the AU and regional forums may need to assume greater responsibility for peace, security, and development.
• African unity in the UN is often fragmented, as seen in the A3+ (the three African non-permanent UNSC members plus a diaspora-connected state). While the A3+ showed coordination during the February 2025 Al-Shabaab sanctions negotiations (Resolution 2775), it failed to present a unified position during the November 14, 2024, vote on Sudan (Resolution 2760), which allowed a Russian veto to succeed. The report notes that coordination remains too dependent on informal relationships rather than institutionalized processes.
• Africa's push for UN Security Council reform is hindered by the 'maximalist' and 'rigid framework' of the 2005 Ezulwini Consensus, which demands two permanent seats with veto powers. The report suggests this 'all-or-nothing approach' has contributed to a stalemate and recommends a more flexible framework, such as semi-permanent renewable seats or expanded elected membership, and the potential invocation of Article 109 of the UN Charter to force review discussions.
• There is a significant 'institutional credibility crisis' due to the AU's financial dependency on external partners. In the 2025 budget, external partners funded 58.1% of the AU's regular budget, while member states contributed 32.9%. Peace support operations are 100% funded by international partners. By mid-2024, 26 of 55 member states were under sanctions for contribution arrears.
• African nations face severe structural financial challenges that limit their diplomatic and institutional capacity. In 2024, African countries allocated $163 billion to debt service, a 335% increase from $61 billion in 2010. External debt service consumed 14.8% of export earnings, and in 2023, 30 African countries spent more on interest payments than on public health.
• The report identifies a 'Continental Legitimacy Gap' where African crises are neglected in global forums. At UNGA 2024, 140 states addressed Gaza, but only 65 mentioned Sudan, with fewer than half of those being African states. This asymmetry undermines Africa's claim to collective ownership of its own security.
• To improve diplomatic performance, the report recommends that African missions in New York establish formal partnerships with think tank consortia to provide rapid-response policy analysis and institutional memory. It also suggests a 'first refusal rule' for the A3+, giving them the first opportunity to serve as 'penholders' (leading the drafting and negotiation) on conflicts in Africa before other UNSC members.
• Africa should strategically manage the relocation of UN agencies to the continent. The relocation of UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women operations to Nairobi by 2026, involving over 800 staff, is cited as an opportunity. The report recommends coordinating bids through the AU to ensure binding commitments for African procurement contracts and guaranteed career progression for African nationals into senior UN positions.

APA

de Carvalho, G., Bagwandeen, M., & Murithi, T. (2025). Principles with Pragmatism: Insights for African Foreign Ministries’ UN Strategies. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Principles-with-Pragmatism_22September.pdf

Chicago

de Carvalho, Gustavo, Mandira Bagwandeen, and Tim Murithi. Principles with Pragmatism: Insights for African Foreign Ministries’ UN Strategies. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2025. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Principles-with-Pragmatism_22September.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Carvalho |first1=Gustavo |last2=Bagwandeen |first2=Mandira |last3=Murithi |first3=Tim |title=Principles with Pragmatism: Insights for African Foreign Ministries’ UN Strategies |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Principles-with-Pragmatism_22September.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{decarvalho2025principles, author = {de Carvalho, Gustavo and Bagwandeen, Mandira and Murithi, Tim}, title = {{Principles with Pragmatism: Insights for African Foreign Ministries’ UN Strategies}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Principles-with-Pragmatism_22September.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }