Harmony and Discord South African Foreign Policy

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Harmony and DiscordSouth African Foreign Policy

• Composers, conductors and players
• SAIIA
• Presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio
  Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Friday 15 October 2004

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Idealism, personality, realism, and bureaucracy

• 1993 New FP thinking
• Idealism, internationalism, human rights
• Post-apartheid democracy dividend
• Global vision
• African Renaissance
• Policy formulation
• Institutionalisation

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Foreign policy actors The Presidency

• Mbeki personality, background, experience,
  intellect
• Consolidation and expansion of Presidency
• Locus of FP power and policy within Presidency

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Presidency and foreign policy
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Actors - DFA

• Discontinuity
• Transformation
• Massive expansion of activities
• Lack of focus
• Strategic plan to 2005
• Implementation
• Mixed picture

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Foreign policy actors - ANC

• IR department
• IR NEC Sub-committee
• Most NB for institutional policy co-ordination
• Historical alliances
• Socialist International
• Regional fraternal ties

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Foreign policy actors - parliament

• Vision of 96
• Stronger DFA relationship
• Oversight ?
• Seldom considers legislation
• Clear role?
• Deliberating on tough issues?

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Foreign policy actors - business

• Not uniform or united
• Formal and informal relationships with Presidency
• Closer to DTI MEA than DFA
• Mixed relationship with SA missions
• Ambiguous - NEPAD
• Concern - Zimbabwe

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Foreign policy actors - unions

• International relations ILO etc
• African TU federations
• ANC NEC
• Globalisation
• WTO
• NEPAD
• Zimbabwe
• M.E.

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Foreign policy actors Think Tanks

• Expansion, better funding since 94
• Better resources
• Better role definition
• Better govt engagement
• Need for structured relation with PCFA
• Need for FPC?

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SA and conflict diamonds

• Threat to Africa devt.
• Role of NGOs and media
• Role of business
• Role of DFA
• Kimberley Process
• New international diplomacy
• Parliament?

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SA and NEPAD

• SA and African recovery plans
• SA enhanced role
• SA Presidency
• SA, AU, G8
• DFA
• Business, unions, TTs
• Parliament?

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SA and Zimbabwe

• Positions rather than policy
• Presidency
• ANC, opposition
• TTs, media, churches
• Unions
• Business
• Parliament?

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SA - Middle EastEconomic diplomacy, human
rights, war and terror
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SA Palestine - Israel

• Pre 94 SA Israel linkages
• Historic ANC PLO fraternal ties
• Domestic constituencies
• Spier Initiative
• DFA flux
• Parliament

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What you get when you search Sharon in Google
images
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Broad recommendations

• Internal re-structuring of PCFA
• Establish clear and regular linkages with
  Presidency on FP/IR
• Establish clear and regular linkages with TTs
• Convene public hearings on NB FP/IR issues
• Strengthen and regularise relations with IR/FP
  committees in Africa and globally

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PCFA
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Input into PCFA
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The PCFA and Think Tanks
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PCFA linkages
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Thank youQuestions, clarification, discussion