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Foreign Relations Relations SA YEARBOOK 2008/09 SA YEARBOOK 2008/09FOREIGN FOREIGN RELATIONS RELATIONS The Department of Foreign Affairs formulates, co-ordinates, implements and manages South Africa’s foreign-policy and international relations programmes throughout the world. 242 SA YEARBOOK 2008/09 FOREIGN RELATIONS 10 These are guided by a commitment to promoting: )TREPLACEDTHE/RGANISATIONOF!FRICAN5NITY/!5 s HUMANRIGHTSANDDEMOCRACY WHICHWASESTABLISHEDON-AYIN!DDIS sJUSTICEANDINTERNATIONALLAW !BABA %THIOPIA4HE!5SOBJECTIVESINCLUDE sINTERNATIONALPEACEANDINTERNATIONALLYAGREED s ACHIEVINGGREATERUNITYANDSOLIDARITYBETWEEN mechanisms for resolving conflicts African countries and the peoples of Africa s!FRICAINWORLDAFFAIRS s DEFENDINGTHE SOVEREIGNTY TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY sECONOMICDEVELOPMENT THROUGH REGIONAL AND and independence of its member states international co-operation. s ACCELERATING THE POLITICAL AND SOCIO ECONOMIC The department continues to implement its integration of the continent strategic priorities in line with government’s s ENCOURAGINGINTERNATIONALCO OPERATION FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVES OUTLINED IN THE s PROMOTINGPEACE SECURITYANDSTABILITYONTHE programme of the International Relations, Peace continent and Security Cluster. s PROMOTINGDEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES AND INSTITU- tions, popular participation and good govern- South Africa and Africa ance South Africa’s development is inextricably linked s PROMOTINGANDPROTECTINGPEOPLESRIGHTS to the development of Africa and the southern s ESTABLISHINGTHENECESSARYCONDITIONSTOENABLE African region. the continent to play its rightful role in the global Africa faces the challenge of positioning itself economy and in international negotiations to address the marginalisation of the continent by s PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ECO engaging global role-players on socio-economic nomic, social and cultural level, and integrating DEVELOPMENTANDFACILITATINGAFAIRANDJUSTGLOBAL African economies order. s PROMOTINGCO OPERATIONINALLlELDSOFHUMAN activity to raise living standards African Union (AU) s PROMOTINGRESEARCHINALLlELDS The AU is Africa’s premier institution and principal s ERADICATING PREVENTABLE DISEASES AND PROMO organisation for the promotion of the continent’s ting good health on the continent. accelerated socio-economic integration, which The AU has made notable progress towards the will lead to greater unity and solidarity between political and economic integration of the conti- African countries and peoples. South Africa was nent: instrumental in establishing the AU and its organs, s THE PERMANENT HOME OF THE 0!0 WILL BE namely the: COMPLETEDIN s!SSEMBLY s THE!5HASDEVELOPEDTHE03# WHICHISRESPON- s%XECUTIVE#OUNCIL sible for the resolution of conflicts, peacekeep- sSPECIALISEDTECHNICALCOMMITTEES INGANDPOST CONmICTRECONSTRUCTIONINCONJUNC- slNANCIALINSTITUTIONS TIONWITHTHE5NITED.ATIONS5. s0ERMANENT2EPRESENTATIVES#OMMITTEE02# s A COMMON DEFENCE POLICY HAS BEEN ADOPTED s0EACEAND3ECURITY#OUNCIL03# which includes the Standby Force, with a s0AN !FRICAN0ARLIAMENT0!0 NUCLEUSOFlVEBRIGADES ONEFROMEACHREGION s%CONOMIC 3OCIALAND#ULTURAL#OUNCIL%COSOCC s THE(UMANAND0EOPLES2IGHTS#OURTHASBEEN s#OURTOF*USTICE ESTABLISHEDWITH*UDGE"ERNARD.GOEPEASONE s!FRICAN#OURTON(UMANAND0EOPLES2IGHTS OFTHElRSTJUDGES s!FRICAN#OMMISSION ON (UMAN AND 0EOPLES s THE0ROTOCOLONTHE2IGHTSOF7OMENIN!FRICA Rights. ANDTHE$ECLARATIONON'ENDER%QUALITYISBEING 4HE lNANCIAL INSTITUTIONS NAMELY THE !FRICAN implemented Monetary Fund, African Central Bank and African s THE 0ROTOCOL ON THE #OURT OF *USTICE IS #OURTOF*USTICE STILLHAVETOBEOPERATIONALISED underway 4HE MEMBER!5WASOFlCIALLYLAUNCHEDIN The eight existing regional economic communities $URBAN ON *ULY FOLLOWING ITS INAUGURAL 2%#S WHICHINCLUDETHE3OUTHERN!FRICAN$EVEL- summit. OPMENT #OMMUNITY 3!$# AND THE %CONOMIC 243 #OMMUNITYOF7EST!FRICAN3TATES%COWAS HAVE New Partnership for Africa’s begun to determine time lines to achieve free trade Development (Nepad) agreements and customs unions. South Africa, in collaboration with key African countries, has been at the forefront in devel- Promoting peace, security and oping Nepad as Africa’s premier development stability on the continent programme, in mobilising African and interna- The AU is responsible for the peaceful resolution tional support for Nepad and in supporting Nepad of conflict among member states, through such structures and processes. Nepad is a holistic, inte- appropriate means as may be decided upon by the grated, sustainable development initiative prima- AU Assembly. RILY ESTABLISHED AS AN !FRICAN REJUVENATION PLAN The PSC Protocol tOOKEFFECTIN$ECEMBER that focuses on creating the conditions for sustain- AND COMPRISES MEMBER STATES4HE 03#WAS able development, namely: LAUNCHEDIN!DDIS!BABA IN-AY!SACOLLEC- s PEACE SECURITY DEMOCRACYANDPOLITICALGOVER tive security and early warning arrangement, the nance PSC allows for a timely and effective response to s ECONOMICANDCORPORATEGOVERNANCE conflict and crises in Africa. s REGIONALINTEGRATION In terms of PSC statutes, all African countries 4HE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF .EPAD IS TO ERADICATE should establish their own early warning centres. poverty, halt the marginalisation of Africa in the The AU PSC Protocol provides for the creation globalisation process, promote the empowerment of the African Standby Force, to be operationalised and economic integration of women and achieve OVERYEARS THEMILLENNIUMDEVELOPMENTGOALS-$'S The second extraordinary session of the AU The underlying principles of Nepad are: !SSEMBLY HELDIN,IBYAIN&EBRUARY ADOPTED s !CCOUNTABILITY .EPAD RECOGNISES THE IMPOR- the Common African Defence and Security Policy. tance of good political, economic and corporate South Africa is sparing no effort in conflict reso- governance in creating the conditions for devel- lution and/or peacekeeping missions in the Demo- opment, with African governments embrac- CRATIC 2EPUBLIC OF #ONGO $2# "URUNDI #ÙTE ing greater accountability to their constituents. D)VOIRE 3UDAN #OMOROS %THIOPIAAND%RITREA Nepad also seeks to base Africa’s partnership with the North on mutual accountability. Socio-economic development and s /WNERSHIP .EPAD IS A LONG TERM VISION THAT integration of the continent is African-led and -owned. Ownership should The AU is the principal institution responsible for be promoted through broad and deep partici- promoting sustainable development at economic, pation by all sectors of society, and by tapping social and cultural level, as well as integrating INTOINDIGENOUSKNOWLEDGEEXPERTISETODElNE !FRICAN ECONOMIES 2%#S ARE RECOGNISED AS THE needs and solutions. building blocks of the AU, necessitating the need s 0ARTNERSHIP 7HILE .EPAD IS A PARTNERSHIP for their close involvement in formulating and between and among Africans, it seeks to accel- implementing all AU programmes. erate sustainable development in Africa through To this end, the AU must co-ordinate and take partnerships with the South, and to forge a decisions on policies in areas of common inte- new partnership with the developed North that rest to member states, as well as co-ordinate and CHANGESTHEUNEQUALRELATIONSHIPWITH!FRICA harmonise policies between existing and future Resources for Nepad are mobilised by way of 2%#S FORTHEGRADUALATTAINMENTOFTHE!5SOBJEC- increasing savings and capital inflows via debt tives. Seven specialised technical committees are RELIEF INCREASEDTARGETEDOFlCIALDEVELOPMENTAID responsible for the actual implementation of the /$! ANDPRIVATECAPITALINVESTMENT ASWELLAS continental socio-economic integration process, through better management of public revenue and together with the PRC. expenditure. 4HEADOPTIONOF.EPADINWASTHEAFlR- mation of a shared vision, conviction and a pledge 3OUTH !FRICAN JUDGE .AVANETHEM 0ILLAY WAS by Africa and its leaders to eradicate poverty and APPOINTED AS THE 5NITED .ATIONS (UMAN to place African countries, both individually and Rights Commissioner in Geneva, Switzerland, i collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and ON3EPTEMBER0ILLAYWASAJUDGEATTHE development, halting the marginalisation of Africa )NTERNATIONAL#RIMINAL#OURTIN4HE(AGUE in the globalisation process. 244 Over the past six years, the activities of Nepad PARTNERSHIP WITH THE 7ORLD (EALTH /RGANISATION evolved from the conceptualisation of frame- 7(/ CONTINUESTOYIELDPOSITIVERESULTS works for the actualisation of the new vision and Other achievements include the establishment onwards to implementation strategies and action OFTHE)NFRASTRUCTURE0ROJECT0REPARATION&ACILITYAT PLANSINTHEIDENTIlEDPRIORITYAREAS#ONSEQUENTLY THE!FRICAN$EVELOPMENT"ANK!$" ANDNOTABLE sectoral frameworks and mechanisms have been increases in national and multicountry infrastruc- developed and are being implemented in the TURE PROJECT INVESTMENTS BY THE !$" AND OTHER PROGRAMMESANDPROJECTSINTHOSEPRIORITYAREAS MULTINATIONAL DEVELOPMENT lNANCE INSTITUTIONS Such areas include: $&)S INCLUDINGTHE7ORLD"ANK"UILDINGONTHESE s THECOMPREHENSIVE!FRICANAGRICULTUREDEVELOP- early successes in infrastructure, the Infrastruc- ment programme TURE #ONSORTIUM FOR!FRICA )#! WAS ESTABLISHED s THESHORT TERM ACTION PLAN FOR INFRASTRUCTURE ATTHE!$" ASPARTOFTHE' SUPPORTTO.EPAD development FOLLOWINGTHE'LENEAGLES3UMMIT s THESCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY34 CONSOLIDATED !MAJORCONTINENTALEVENTREGARDINGINFRASTRUC- action plan ture development was the launch of the Pan- s THEENVIRONMENTPLAN African Infrastructure Development Fund during s THE!5.EPADHEALTHSTRATEGY the Accra Summit. This fund, with at least s THEEDUCATIONACTIONPLAN 53MILLIONATITSDISPOSALINMID AIMED s THETOURISMACTIONPLAN
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