Question NW2473 to the President of the Republic

Reply:

South Africa has successfully used its membership of multilateral formations of the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), BRICS, Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), G20 and G77 to promote a fairer, just, inclusive, equitable and representative multipolar international rules-based system, based on international law and the principles of the sovereign equality of all States, respect for their territorial integrity and mutual respect for the interests and concerns of all.

South Africa believes that multilateralism needs to be built on solidarity and cooperation between international, regional and sub-regional mechanisms, which will lead to more effective and adaptive responses to crises. This has been South Africa’s experience in championing UN and AU cooperation during the three terms South Africa has served so far on the UN Security Council.

South Africa used its participation in the G20, G7 and BRICS to secure practical actions to address contemporary global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to achieve important outcomes. One of these was an agreement that multilateral financial institutions would implement a year-long debt standstill to provide liquidity for the economies of low- and middle-income countries and funding for businesses that experienced losses under COVID-19 restrictions.

We also actively argued in these fora for Africa to be a vaccine producer to reverse inadequate vaccine access for Africa. Today, six African countries are developing vaccine production processes and establishing facilities for this.

In 2021, the UN Secretary General gave the global community new hope when he presented a global vision of inclusive and transformed multilateralism. He proposed adoption of a common agenda for humanity that will see us address climate change, conflict, poverty and insecurity in a manner that promotes inclusion, shared development and equality.

South Africa continues to derive great value from the BRICS partnership. Our joint call with India, a fellow BRICS member, at the World Trade Organisation for the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights so that COVID-19 vaccines and other new technologies treatments and diagnostics are accessible for developing countries was an important intervention in the fight against COVID-19.

The virtual BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre was launched in March this year, and that is one of South Africa's BRICS Chairship legacy projects.

One of the important priorities in the AU agenda is the maintenance of peace and the prevention of conflict. In August 2021 South Africa assumed the rotational chairship of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security cooperation. Our Chairship focused on the political and security situation in the Kingdom of Lesotho, in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The goals of the international rules-based system are aligned with and advance the goals of South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP). South Africa’s foreign policy objectives are outlined in the vision set out in the NDP, namely, that by 2030, South Africa, informed by its national interests, should be a globally competitive economy and an influential and leading member of the international community.

By achieving Vision 2030, South Africa should promote and contribute to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and peace and security. Through the NDP, South Africa aims to address the challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty with a focus on driving a strong and inclusive economy.