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Building a Better WorldThe Diplomacy of Ubuntu

• The Draft White Paper on
• South Africas Foreign Policy
• Presented by the Department of
• International Relations and Cooperation

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Background

• Green Paper on Foreign Policy initiated as far
  back as 1996
• In 2010, the Minister of International Relations
  and Cooperation initiated an assessment of South
  Africas foreign policy against a backdrop of a
  rapidly changing international relations
  environment and the weight of rising
  expectations
• DIRCO therefore engaged a broad base of
  stakeholders.
• Drafts were workshopped with the ICTS cluster,
  departments, provinces, former diplomats,
  academia, think tanks, business, organised
  labour, NGOs and civil society.
• Approved by Cabinet for submission to Parliament

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Strategic Purpose

• The Draft White Paper strives to outline the
  broad principles and elements of South Africas
  foreign policy, as well as a framework for
  implementation thereof, including clarification
  on the role mandate of DIRCO.
• The Draft White Paper presents a framework for
  achieving Outcome 11, namely to create a better
  South Africa and contribute to a better and safer
  Africa and World.

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Structure of the Draft White Paper

• Foreword
• Preamble
• Introduction
• The Mandate of DIRCO
• South Africas Values and Interests
• Drivers and Trends in the Global System
• Global Positioning of South Africa
• Taking Diplomacy Forward

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Key Concepts

• The Draft White Paper grounds foreign policy in
  South Africas domestic priorities.
• The Draft White Paper acknowledges the
  inter-connectedness/relationship between
  interests and values in determining the National
  Interest.
• The concept of the diplomacy of ubuntu is used
  to explain South Africas foreign policy approach
  of collaboration, cooperation and partnership
  rather than conflict and competition.

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Pillars of South Africas Foreign Policy

• Immediate neighbourhood and the African
  Continent
• Working with the South to address shared
  challenges of underdevelopment
• Promoting global equity and social justice
• Working with the North to develop true and
  effective partnerships for a better world
• Transforming and strengthening the multilateral
  system to better reflect global diversity its
  centrality in global governance.

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Key Foreign Policy Principles

• States are interdependent
• Cooperation over competition and collaboration
  over confrontation
• Draws on the spirit of internationalism,
  pan-Africanism, and South-South solidarity,
  rejects colonialism and other forms of oppression
• Pursues the quest for the unity and economic,
  political and social renewal of Africa

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Key Foreign Policy Principles (cont)

• Committed to development partnerships with
  countries of the North, as well as through
  trilateral and South-South cooperation
• Promotes poverty alleviation around the world
  and opposition to structural inequality and abuse
  of power in the global system
• Pursues democracy within the international system
  of governance

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Drivers and Trends in the Global System

• Rapidly changing economic political order
• Demographics
• Realignment of economic power
• Innovation
• New media and social networks
• Environmental change
• Heightened demand for scarce resources
• Changing nature of conflict and insecurity

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Global Positioning of South Africa

• South Africas vision
• to be a successful, influential and leading
  member of the international community
• supported by a globally competitive economy on a
  sustained growth path
• made significant inroads in addressing
  unemployment, inequality and poverty
• contributing to the development of our region and
  continent.

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Africa

• Our struggle for a better life in South Africa is
  intertwined with our pursuit of a better Africa
  in a better world.
• Destiny is inextricably linked to that of the
  Southern African region.
• Regional and continental integration is the
  foundation for Africas socio-economic
  development and political unity, and essential
  for our own prosperity and security.
• Africa is at the centre of South Africas foreign
  policy.
• Support regional and continental processes.

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Africas Potential

• Structural changes in the global economy have
  opened up opportunities that position Africa as
  significant to the global economy.
• Africa has benefited greatly from the demand for
  its natural resources as a result of the rise of
  emerging powers.
• Accelerated growth has been demonstrated in the
  majority of countries on the continent.
• Several factors lie behind these changes, namely
  improved governance and business environment,
  increased demand for goods and services.

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The African Agenda

• Given the global trend towards regional economic
  integration, the acceleration of Africas
  regional integration is imperative for economic
  competiveness and greater economies of scale.
• Peace, stability, and security are essential
  preconditions for development.
• South Africa will intensify its engagements in
  the AU and its structures in order for the AU to
  fulfil its role in building African unity and the
  social and economic development of the continent.

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Development Partnerships

• South Africa will continue to engage
  internationally on aid effectiveness, increased
  global development assistance, and strengthening
  development partnerships.
• The South African Development Partnership Agency
  (SADPA) will be an important instrument to
  promote more effective development cooperation.
• It will therefore pursue bilateral cooperation
  with African countries as well as trilateral
  cooperation with international partners in
  support of African development.

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Multilateralism

• Global challenges human security, environmental
  sustainability, poverty alleviation, development
  (and the Post-2015 Development Agenda), political
  and economic crises, human rights, disarmament
  and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
• Multilateral cooperation needed to find equitable
  multilateral solutions to global problems.
• The United Nations (UN) system, through its
  universal membership and broad mandate, occupies
  the central and indispensable role within the
  global system of governance.
• However, the established global multilateral
  architecture has its roots in the post-Second
  World War context

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Reform of the UN and Bretton Woods Institutions

• The developing world, especially Africa, has a
  limited voice and participation in the decision-
  and policy-making processes of the global trade,
  economic and financial institutions.
• South Africa recognises the importance of
  multilateralism and a rules-based system governed
  by international law.
• Comprehensive reform of the architecture of
  global governance, including the UN system and
  the Bretton Woods Institutions, to make them more
  effective, legitimate, and responsive to the
  needs of the developing world.
• Security Council Membership
• Served twice as non-permanent member
• Continues to pursue reform to establish greater
  African representation

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Other forums

• Groupings outside the formal multilateral
  structures in order to address specific issues
  affecting the international community.
• Groups such as the G20, Major Economies Forum,
  BASIC, IBSA and BRICS have grown in prominence
  and are focused on global issues related to
  political, security, environment and economic
  matters.
• South Africa supports the use of such groupings
  as an important mechanism for consensus building,
  whilst recognising the centrality of the UN and
  ensuring that its processes are not undermined.

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South-South Cooperation

• 1955 Africa-Asia Conference in Bandung outcomes
  were the establishment of NAM and G77
• Shared objective about the need to change the
  world to reflect the needs and interests of
  developing countries
• Later NAASP, G8 Outreach, IBSA, BRICS, BASIC,
  etc
• Need to elevate these partnerships to a different
  level, building on the goodwill and solidarity,
  and generate mutually beneficial economic
  relations.
• Shared historical ties, similar challenges,
  alternative development paths.

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Challenges

• Increased competition among states to position
  themselves in order to maximise their
  international profiles and visibility.
• Cohesion of the South as key developing countries
  graduate into developed countries.
• Influence and capacity gap between emerging
  powers and the rest of the developing world,
  especially LDCs.
• Impact on the solidarity of the South
• Divergences in the developing world agenda
• Shift in global economic centre of gravity from
  North-West to South and East

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Economic Diplomacy

• Success of economic diplomacy linked to
  achievement of domestic priorities.
• Economy must be able to compete in the global
  market.
• Aim is to pursue national economic policy
  objectives and leverage opportunities that arise
  from global markets and increasing flows of
  global trade and investment.
• Focus of our international engagements must
  therefore include the creation of sustainable
  jobs and scaled up investments in
  employment-intensive sectors in South Africa.

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Economic Diplomacy

• South Africas economic diplomacy will therefore
• Provide guidance to government and the business
  sector on economic developments and markets,
• Pursuing market access for South African
  products,
• Attracting investments and tourism,
• Removing barriers to trade,
• Supporting development of larger markets in
  Africa,
• Enhance competitiveness of South African goods
  and services in the major global markets, and
• Pursue a fair and equitable rules-based
  international trade regime.

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Asia

• Asia is of increasing importance to South Africa
  and Africa.
• Power shifts in the global political and economic
  system have increased the relevance of the Asian
  region, with major emerging powers such as China
  and India increasing their global influence.
• The growing economic importance of Asia is also
  reflected in South Africas changing trade
  patterns with Asia.
• Asia has become South Africas largest trading
  region and an increasingly important source of
  investment.

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Middle East

• In the Middle East, South Africa will remain
  consistent in its support for the Middle East
  Peace Process and the peaceful settlement of
  disputes.
• South Africas foreign policy will have to take
  cognisance of the competing interests of the
  major powers in this region, as it pursues its
  unique role based on its successful political
  transition.
• The Levant region also has the potential to offer
  future export opportunities.
• Access Sovereign Wealth Funds in the Gulf to
  finance infrastructure development

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Europe

• Europe will remain of critical strategic interest
  to South Africa and the EU currently represents a
  successful model of regional integration.
• EU enlargement has created the largest economic
  bloc in the world and remains South Africas
  largest trading bloc, representing more than a
  third of South Africas total trade.
• It remains an important source of foreign direct
  investment and official development assistance
  into South Africa, as well as a primary market
  for tourism.
• Europe retains very large voice and influence in
  multilateral institutions, and active supporter
  of African initiatives

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Americas and the Caribbean

• Bilateral relations would therefore be used to
  enhance economic, scientific, technical, and
  business opportunities through bilateral
  mechanisms.
• The USA and Canada will remain dominant global
  and regional political and economic players, with
  significant potential for South African and
  African trade, tourism, and investment.
• America still a dominant force in global affairs
  with global projection of power, even if
  increasingly limited.

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Taking Diplomacy Forward

• Cross-sectoral approach and coordinated response
  required across all spheres of government, public
  enterprises, the private sector, labour, civil
  society, and other non-state actors.
• Strengthen the Consultative Forum on
  International Relations
• Establish South African Council on International
  Relations
• Public diplomacy essential to project South
  Africas image, values and culture both
  domestically and abroad.
• South Africas diplomacy of Ubuntu, focusing on
  our common humanity, provides an inclusive and
  constructive world view to shape a evolving
  global order.

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• THANK YOU