Strategic Plan 06 .Indd
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Contents 02 PART ONE 02 Message from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr NC Dlamini Zuma 05 Foreword by the Director-General, Dr A Ntsaluba 07 Mandate of the Department 07 Defi nition of South Africa’s Foreign Policy 09 South Africa’s regional and multilateral interests 41 PART TWO 41 Key Performance Areas 41 Section 1: Medium-Term Priorities and Objectives 42 Section 2: Service Delivery Improvement Plan 2006/07 86 Section 3: Resource Allocations per Departmental Programme 92 PART THREE 92 Section 1: Asset Management Plan 96 Section 2: Information Communication Technology Plan 104 Section 3: Branch Foreign Service Institute and Human Resources Cover Picture: 110 Abbreviations of Government Departments President Thabo Mbeki supported by Minister Dr Nkosazana 110 Dlamini Zuma receiving Former President Nelson Mandela at List of Acronyms the Progressive Government Summit in Hammanskraal with Presidential Legal Adviser Adv Mojanku Gumbi looking on. Department of Foreign Affairs Strategic Plan 2006 - 2009 1 PART ONE MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DR NC DLAMINI ZUMA n capturing the challenges that lie ahead, we In 1994 this dream began to take concrete shape acknowledge, as President Thabo Mbeki has said and became a living reality. In the last twelve years Iin the State of the Nation Address in February we have continued to make advances in building this year, that today is better than yesterday and a country free of racism and sexism characterised tomorrow will surely be better than today. by democracy and a respect for human rights. Much has been done to attain our goals. Hence we Fifty years ago when 20 000 South African women reiterate the words of President Mbeki that state: marched to Pretoria to protest against apartheid the Age of Hope and the People’s Season of Joy legislation, they dreamt that the time would come are upon us. when they would be able to walk freely through the roads of a free country as South Africans Yet we also acknowledge that a great deal of work on a common journey and as a winning nation, remains to be done to ensure that the gains of the pooling efforts towards the eradication of poverty, present become permanent positive features in racism and sexism and towards the building of a people’s lives. Thus, with a conscious striving, we better life for all. are redoubling our efforts to bring an end to poverty Minister of Foreign Affairs, and underdevelopment. Hence, our government’s Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Thirty years ago when children in Soweto programme for accelerating growth as well as took to the streets in protest against apartheid other interventions to bring about an integrated education, they fought for the right to grow up in national economy and to improve the skills of our peace and stability and experience full equality people. in creating a better life within in a better Africa and a with others as equal citizens in a country they better world. This has also been an African Season could call their own. It is also our conviction that we have made strides of Hope that we believe will continue to bear fruit 2 Department of Foreign Affairs Strategic Plan 2006 - 2009 torn and divided, in entrenching democracy and engaging in post confl ict reconstruction. Signifi cant progress has been achieved in Burundi as a result of the united efforts under the umbrella of the African Union and some advances have also been made on other fronts in Liberia, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Cote d’Ivoire. As South Africa, we are proud that we have been participants in these efforts and that our work has not been in vain. We shall continue to support these activities in the future and to ensure the implementation of NEPAD projects as part of our agenda of working towards sustained African economic and social development. The attainment of a prosperous Africa with the full participation of highly productive and skilled people is a real possibility that we shall continue to aim towards through our international work in the second half of this fi rst decade of the 21st century. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad. We continue to be seized with the attainment of Sue van der Merwe. the Millennium Development Goals and the need to impress upon the global community that Africa’s special development challenges require poverty- in the years to come because of the groundwork scale interventions by all. Global poverty is the and its eradication requires an acknowledgement that has already been done in cementing peace biggest challenge in the journey to overall human that the global system has played its part in and stability in areas that had previously been war- progress and social and economic advancement increasing the gap between rich and poor. Department of Foreign Affairs Strategic Plan 2006 - 2009 3 As the Chair of the G77 and China in 2006, We are strengthening our work in the IBSA (India- their reality and to enhance their interactions and South Africa will continue to campaign for the Brazil-South Africa) Dialogue Forum to enhance exchange with their neighbours and those on the strengthening of the multilateral system within our common positions so as to intensify our fi ght other side of the globe. the overall context of a reformed United Nations. against poverty, to deepen trade links between the South Africa will continue its active engagement to countries of the South and to ensure that the needs The challenge in the immediate future is to continue ensure that greater pressure is brought to bear for of developing countries are a central thrust in trade to initiate links and to open frank discussions that the democratisation of UN structures, with a focus negotiations of the WTO. lead the countries of the world towards tolerance on a more inclusive United Nations Human Rights of differences in religion, race, colour, creed and Council. Our efforts will also continue to focus on economic culture, and to move towards reconciliation and to diplomacy as we aim for prosperity for South Africa’s encourage the dynamic participation of people in Together with our partners in the South, we shall people, for the African continent as a whole as well building their own future. continue to be a progressive agent of change and as a better life for all nations of the world. to work towards a new world order characterised by common development and an inclusive approach Our task in strengthening the bonds that connect to world affairs. We shall continue to build bridges us to the rest of the world is to assist in nurturing between people and nations, initiating dialogue and conditions of permanent peace and enduring stability helping to set and assert a developmental agenda in which citizens can create and innovate, equip in all multilateral fora. themselves with new tools and skills to improve 4 Department of Foreign Affairs Strategic Plan 2006 - 2009 FOREWORD BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, DR AYANDA NTSALUBA his Strategic Plan is the blueprint that outlines of the International Relations Peace and Security and expediting the practical implementation of the the service delivery of the Department Cluster (IRPS) in which the DFA participates as well African Union (AU) NEPAD projects. Tof Foreign Affairs (DFA) as directed as the Extended Cabinet Committee and the terms by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It delineates and tone of engagement are also guided by the This Plan thus defi nes foreign policy principles and and summarises the plans that are in place to President’s State of the Nation Address. objectives, and presents an overview of how these meet targets as set out in the business plans of will be dealt with in the context of bilateral, regional, various units and components of the Department The Strategic Planning Workshop held from 5- continental and multilateral relations. in accordance with the department’s mission of 7 March 2006 has shaped the development of promoting South Africa’s national interests and this Plan through its analysis of South Africa’s Part Two and Three of this Plan focus on the values, consolidating the African Agenda as part of foreign policy and its discussion of the emphasis immediate to medium term priorities and objectives the practical realisation of an African Renaissance of our international engagements in the years to of the Department as guided by it’s business plan and creating a better life for all. come. This workshop also reaffi rmed the DFA’s including corporate services matters of critical commitment to meet its goals as directed by the importance to the effective functioning of the DFA. The Plan conforms to the regulatory framework of Minister. The workshop was an opportunity to the Public Finance Management Act (Act No. 1 of refl ect on the achievements of our foreign policy, The medium-term priorities and objectives include 1999) and public service regulations. identify future challenges and propose creative the following issues: consolidation of the African outcomes through confronting challenges that we Agenda; South-South co-operation; political and Part One of the Strategic Plan outlines the tasks as a Department need to achieve. The workshop economic relations; global governance: political of the Department in carrying out its mandate in emphasised the concerted efforts of government in issues; global governance: socio-economic issues; formulating and implementing South Africa’s foreign this Age of Hope, stressing the importance of skills global governance: security issues; human resource policy and international relations. In this regard, development, working towards a Reformed United development, and provision of effi cient and effective foreign policy priorities are also part and parcel Nations, strengthening South-South Co-operation support services.