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South Africa

Position paper, courtesy of Audra Criscione:

Mr. President,

South Africa is pleased with your election as the 53rd President of the General Assembly; your accomplishments and titles, such as your appointment as Foreign Minister in February, your term as Minister of the Interior from 1995-1998, and your election to the International Law Commission of the United Nations clearly indicate how deserving and well-suited and you are for the position. (U.N. Press Release)

I would also like to congratulate Mr. Kofi Annan on his election as the 7th Secretary-General and on his achievement of being the first black African to hold the position. Through many reform proposals, and through his adept ability in addressing the difficulties confronting the United Nations, the Secretary-General’s involvement in the United Nations since 1971 has brought forth a tremendous amount of success to the Organization. (CNN Newsmaker Profiles)

In breaking with an isolated and divisive past of apartheid, South Africa has created a modified set of principles that underscore South Africa’s foreign policy approach to the new situation. These reflect a commitment to the promotion of human rights, the advocacy of democracy, justice and international law in the conduct of relations between nations, international peace, the interests of Africa in world affairs, and economic development through regional and international co-operation in an interdependent world. ("Foreign Relations")

Since South Africa’s international isolation officially ended on June 23, 1994, when the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alfred Nzo, resumed South Africa’s seat in the UN General Assembly, South Africa has been grateful to be a member of the United Nations. The country’s new relations with the United Nations enables South Africa to resume its participation in, and contribution to international organizations, treaties, and conventions which are concerned with global policies on issues such as arms control and disarmament, cultural and international law, etc. ("United Nations")

Reformation of the United Nations

Mr. President,

The entire General Assembly is aware of the need to reform the United Nations to ultimately produce a revitalized organization that is capable of addressing humanity’s most threatening issues of peace and security. In order to completely modernize the United Nations, the imbalances of the Security Council must be addressed. The Security Council has to be restructured into a more widely representative body; currently, there is a maldistribution of decision-making power within this organization. This must be changed so that the Security Council will be shaped to truly reflect the diversity of the world and to ensure equality among nations.

South Africa fully supports the Non-Aligned Movement’s position that there should be no "partial or selective expansion in the membership of the Security Council, to the detriment of developing countries." ("Addresses")

The approval by the Harare Summit of the Organization for African Unity (OAU), of Africa’s claim for two permanent and five non-permanent seats with the same powers and rights enjoyed by the current permanent members in a widened Security Council is consistent with the Charter principal of geographical representation. If the Security Council is going to promote international peace, it must be perceived to be fully legitimate by countries, states, and citizens of the world.

Therefore, South Africa is of the opinion that a limited expansion of only fire or six new Security Council seats will not fulfil the requirement of transforming the Security Council into a representative body.

The question of whether the veto should be eradicated or extended to new permanent members is a major part of Security Council reform. South Africa believes that permanent membership without the veto "represents merely a symbolic gesture to new permanent members which perpetuates unjust and discriminatory system which accords then an inferior status." ("Addresses")

Since South Africa’s changed history has become one of the largest success stories in history (South Africa is now stable, not racist, not sexist, not socialist, and not run by the old National Party anymore), South Africa deserves one of the two permanent African seats proposed.

In any case, the time has come to create an agreement that will lead to the creation of a Security Council that will be finally credible and legitimate.

South Africa: Post-Apartheid Reconstruction

South Africa is happy to announce that slowly, life in the country is improving. South Africa is proud of what has been done thus far to improve life for its citizens. Since 1994, more than a million houses have been provided with electricity, 800,000 people have received piped water, 100,000 flush lavatories have been installed, and 1,200 clinics have been built. Other improvements, helping millions, include welfare, land reform, and employee rights. However, South Africa is still in need of help; job creation is lagging behind population growth, too few houses are being built, and too much surplus is being squandered. (World Press Review)

South Africa and Crime

South Africans are obsessed with crime, as the rate of violent crime has risen to rival the highest in the world. The murder rate is ten times that of the United States and robbery is a constant concern. Fear of crime is deterring some foreign investment, and there is evidence that the country’s violent reputation is hurting the tourist industry. The causes of such crimes are multifold. Inadequate food, water, shelters, the ubiquitous presence of guns, and the fact that an entire generation was not educated during the 1980s aggravates crime. The police force seems incapable of confronting the problem, especially because they are used to operating within a culture that considered the murder of political opponents and criminals legitimate. (Current History Magazine)

South Africa and Africa

South Africa is concerned that intra-state conflicts in Africa continue to threaten the continent’s stability. These conflicts provoke death and economic atrocities and in many ways curtail progress toward peace and development. It is disturbing that problems in Africa continue to exist despite the efforts of the OAU and other African leaders. The well being of other African states is in South Africa’s greatest interest; South Africa tries to aid countries in need as much as it possibly can.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is the main instrument through which South Africa establishes cooperation with and provides assistance to southern African countries. The aim of sending South African officials to developing states is to supply technical, professional and administrative people in those situations where the governments of the countries concerned cannot meet demands or find it impossible to recruit candidates elsewhere. ("Cooperation and Aid")

Since South Africa is a part of Africa, official communication with other African countries is a priority. During 1995, South Africa was involved in 94 aid projects in 26 African states in the fields of agriculture, education, training, small businesses, health care, social welfare, assistance with elections, and emergency aid. In addition, 21 South African officials were sent to work in six African countries during 1995.

South Africa feels that one of the most attention-deserving conflicts in Africa is the ethnic Hutu genocide of the ethnic minority Tutsis in Rwanda. The South African Government, in May of 1995, donated two armored vehicles and a shipment of medical supplies to United Nations agencies providing relief assistance to Rwandan refugees. It also set up a Nelson Mandela Peace Village in 1996 to provide shelter and foundations of a new community where Hutus and Tutsis can live peacefully together. Yet, although my government has helped in every way possible, it cannot possibly solve every problem in Rwanda. The genocide, one of the worst since World War II, caused over three million Rwandans to lose their homes, decimated the male population (70% is now female), and forced 85,000 Rwandan children to live in families headed by children. (Update) It is imperative that all Member States continue to support and aid the quality of life in Rwanda.

The Developing World

Mr. President,

The problems of poverty and social deprivation continue to afflict many countries, particularly in the developing world. In order to address this cause of great suffering which affects Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in particular, effective measures need to be taken within the context of the UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty.

The issue of indebtedness persists in frustrating the LDCs ability to promote economic and social development. Therefore, it is essential that the international communities address and find a solution to this problem as a matter of urgency.

We as a region in Southern Africa, whose potential for development has been hampered by the repressive policies of apartheid, cannot but seek the promotion of our people through cooperation. The new government after apartheid inherited an extraordinary set of economic problems. Fifty-three percent of Africans live below the poverty line, compared to 2 percent of all whites. In addition after apartheid, 2.3 million people were left malnourished, 12 million were without adequate water supplies, and 80 percent of all of the Africans were without electricity. (Current History) It goes without saying that South Africa strives to achieve regional economic development by using the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is composed of 12 member countries. This organization provides valuable opportunities for developing and implementing South Africa’s foreign policy objectives within southern Africa and offers the framework to ensure a better life for all of our people. ("South Africa and the SADC")

Human Rights

The South African Government puts a high emphasis on the promotion and protection of human rights as the fundamental basis of its foreign policy. We reaffirm our commitment to the outstanding values of human dignity, values that we have fought for and will continue to fight for. Our people are entitled to this.

Middle East Situation

South Africa has followed the developments in the Middle East with cautious optimism and is pleased that progress has been made. With Israel agreeing to turn over 13 percent of West Bank land to the Palestinian Authority, South Africa strongly hopes that Palestine will in turn satisfy Israel’s demands to disrupt terrorist cells on Palestinian-held land, confiscate weapons from militant groups and have the Palestine Liberation Organization strike all anti-Israeli references from its covenant. (Providence Journal) Although great strides have been taken in this conflict, South Africa believes that the situation must not stop at the point that it is currently. Israel should turn over the rest of the Palestinian territories to Palestine. The inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is a requirement for achieving a durable and lasting peace. The prevalence of peace and stability in the region requires the unconditional withdrawal of Israel from all Palestinian and Arab territories occupied since 1967.

Disarmament

South Africa believes that progress on disarmament issues will create a world free of war. The end of the Cold War brought about a period of progress in disarmament and non-proliferation as was proven by the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

South Africa is encouraged by the large number of States that have committed themselves to the complete eradication of weapons of mass destruction by joining various non-proliferation and disarmament treaties during the past two years. South Africa believes that universal adherence to important disarmament treaties will pave the way toward a world free of weapons of mass destruction. ("Addresses")

Humanity is faced with the threat of harm from the use of conventional weapons every day. Therefore, special attention should be paid to strategies and policies attempting to prevent the proliferation of conventional weapons and to reduce their flow into conflict areas.

One such conflict area that is a cause for concern is North Korea. South Africa believes that its recent launch of a satellite over Japan was another step forward in North Korea’s missile development program and is a matter of grave concern. The three-stage rocket means that North Korea is much farther along than was thought in efforts to build long-range missiles. Along with the United States, South Africa maintains that the Pyongyang regime is the "only government in the world that’s truly dangerous to world peace because of its known nuclear potential and immediate military threat to South Korea, where the U.S. maintains about 37,000 troops." (L.A. Times)

Kosovo Conflict

Of all the current conflicts, the question of Kosovo is most important as of late. The disagreement in Kosovo, between Serbia, Yugoslavia’s principal republic, which insists on keeping Kosovo as a province, and the ethnic Albanians there, who now seek independence, must be resolved quickly and effectively before the winter sets in. South Africa favors a cease-fire agreement that includes a provision for an international peacekeeping force in Kosovo and a plan for negotiations on greater autonomy for the province. An attack led by the United States is not in order as it would not change the Yugoslavian dictator Milosevic’s stance on the issue and would not accomplish anything other than more loss of live. While South Africa supports more autonomy for the Albanians, it does not support independence for Kosovo because it would lead to similar uprisings among ethnic Albanians in other countries, especially neighboring Macedonia. (Providence Journal)

Terrorism

The South African Government welcomes efforts to create a draft convention to define terrorism. It is our belief that acts of terrorism must be clearly distinguished from national liberation struggles in pursuit of the right to self-determination by people subjected to foreign or colonial domination. It is South Africa’s hope that once terrorism is defined, a world conference can be held to discuss the causes, effects, punishments, and most importantly, preventative measures for terrorism.

The common goals toward world peace, security, and well being that we share as members of the United Nations should continue to serve as the most vital aspirations ever to be sought. It is the responsibility of the United Nations to transform those intangible desires for high achievement into a reality that will envelop us as we accelerate into the next millenium.

I thank you Mr. President.