
Exploring South Africa’s Foreign Policy Objectives in the Decolonisation of the Intergovernmental Organisations: The Case of the United Nations Security Council
Issue: Vol.5 No.13 Issue Article 31 pp.2426-2436
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451331 | Published online 31st October, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The United Nations (UN), which is the largest intergovernmental organization (INGO), has a structure mainly focused on global security which is the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). South Africa, which has got Africa’s biggest economy and most politically stable, has embodied the principle of decolonisation through the Ubuntu principle. The South African government’s key foreign policy objectives seek to advance decolonisation, globally and continentally. These objectives include monitoring international developments, promoting inclusive economic growth and shared prosperity for Africa and its people, building unity, and protecting South Africa’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This study sought to explore South Africa’s foreign policy objectives in addressing decolonisation within the UNSC through reform. It employed the exploratory research design in addressing South Africa’s foreign policy objectives towards the reform of the UNSC. Furthermore, the study relied on document analysis. The findings show that the process of decolonisation within the UNSC is occurring at a very slow pace, although significant progress has been made within the African Union regarding the decolonisation agenda. The study emphasises the need for an African permanent member with veto power on the UNSC. This would allow Africa to have a strong voice in protecting its interests. The study’s findings can be used by the South African government’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to inform its foreign policy formulation.
Keywords: Decolonization, Foreign Policy, South Africa, UNSC, Reform, Ubuntu
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Thoriso Arthaniel Ntlailane is a Master of Arts in Political Studies candidate at the North West University. Ntlailane is affiliated with the Research Entity of Afrocentric Governance of Public Affairs under the Faculty of Humanities at North West University. Ntlailane’s research focus area encompasses Foreign Policy, the Trias Politica Doctrine, Public Policy and the South African Government. Ntlailane is an emerging researcher with only one publication under his name titled “Deconstructing the Trias Politica Doctrine in the post-apartheid South African context: Insights on Judicial Hegemony”.
Prof. Costa Hofisi is a Professor and Founding Research Director of the Afrocentric Governance of Public Affairs at North-West University.
Ntlailane, Thoriso & Costa Hofisi. “Exploring South Africa’s Foreign Policy Objectives in the Decolonisation of the Intergovernmental Organisations: The Case of the United Nations Security Council,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.13 (2024): 2426-2436. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451331
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).