Riyaz Patel
As the curtain draws on South Africa’s first UN Security Council (UNSC) presidency month, Pretoria, led by its most senior diplomat Naledi Pandor, demonstrated its consensus-building ability to achieve breakthroughs on some long-standing global issues.
It also used its month at the helm of the world body to draw attention to other critically important matters which have seemingly slipped off the the international radar.
When South Africa was elected to the UN Security Council in 2018, it said its council priorities would relate mostly to African country files.
Pretoria said it would focus on themes such as the UN-AU partnership for peace and security (including Silencing the Guns by 2020); the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda; and the role of mediation in conflict prevention.
On the second day of its presidency, the Council hosted a debate on mobilising the youth towards ‘Silencing the Guns by 2020.’
South Africa strategically linked the issue to its stated priority of strengthening the ‘Silencing the Guns’ agenda item, and building consensus around the theme.
Being one of the three African members of the UN Security Council – the A3 Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa – Ambassador Matjila led the Council delegation to the 13th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting with the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) in Addis Ababa on 22 October.
The meeting was preceded by a UN Security Council visit to South Sudan, co-led by South Africa and the United States.
During the meetings, South Africa continued playing the role, as it does in New York, of attempting to bring cohesion between the A3, the PSC and broader AU common positions.
Bearing in mind that South Africa will in 2020 take the reigns as AU Chair, the visits gave the Pretoria the opportunity to assess first hand some of the dynamics it will have to negotiate as a bridge-builder on the continent.
The Council, under the leadership of International Relations (DIRCO) Minister Pandor, adopted Resolution 2493 on Women Peace and Security (WPS), with the issue becoming the main thematic priority for South Africa.
The Institute of Security Studies(ISS), quoting an an observer in New York, reported that Pretoria’s “eagerness” to table a resolution on the matter generated considerable “backlash” from virtually all council members.
“Some worry that bringing a new resolution may not advance the agenda, or could be a step back from language already agreed as in other council resolutions (Resolution 1325)“ the ISS said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Council that nearly two decades since resolution 1325 acknowledged the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls, “women still face exclusion from peace and political processes.”
The ‘concerns’ as articulated by the ‘observer from New York’ appeared unfounded, however, as South Africa along with its former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, now UN Women’s Executive Director, were widely lauded for their leadership in securing unanimous support for the adoption of the WPS resolution.
Resolution 2493, amongst other stipulations, called for the appointment of gender and/or women protection advisers to facilitate women’s “full and effective participation and protection” in election preparation processes, disarmament, judicial reforms and wider post-conflict reconstruction processes.
It also requested that UN Secretary-General António Guterres develop “context-specific approaches” for women’s “full, equal and meaningful participation” in all UN-supported peace talks to ensure their inclusive involvement.
Germany’s UN envoy, Martin Schäfer, said: ” You (Minister Pandor) have shown once again that you are willing and able to build bridges and unite the international community.”
Security Council members usually use their presidency term to boost visibility and affirm foreign policy priorities through choosing discretionary events as part of the council’s monthly agenda.
During a session on the Middle East, with special emphasis on Palestine, South Africa passionately reaffirmed Pretoria’s support for the Palestinians, the people of Western Sahara, Cuba and Venezuela.
Pandor firmly stated that UN Security Council resolutions on Palestine have been routinely been “breached and ignored,” specifically pointing to Resolution 2334.
“The Council must find ways to repair its damaged and waning credibility as a source of peace and security. Council must insist on regular written reports on the implementation of its decisions, particularly with respect to resolution 2334,” Pandor said.
“Secondly, council must visibly show its solidarity with the long-suffering people of Palestine by conducting the long-overdue field visit to the occupied Palestine territory by those on Council willing to do this.
“And thirdly, council must take further action against the continued violation of human rights and disregard for international law.” the minister underlined.
Under the Presidency of South Africa, the UNSC also marked the transition to a special political mission in Haiti following 15 years of peace operations there.
