New York – South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola is set to use an engagement with the Council on Foreign Relations in New York to outline Pretoria’s foreign policy priorities, with the country’s strained relationship with the United States expected to feature prominently.
According to SABC News, Lamola said the engagement would focus on South Africa’s approach to human rights, multilateralism and the role of the United Nations in upholding international law and international conventions.
“It’s a platform of engagement on foreign policy,” Lamola said. “We will be outlining South Africa’s foreign policy, our human rights outlook, our emphasis on multilateral institutions, with the UN being the supreme institution.”
The minister acknowledged that South Africa’s relationship with Washington would likely come up during the discussions, given that the meeting is taking place in the US amid heightened diplomatic tensions.
“Obviously, it is in New York; it’s in the US. So, there will be questions in relation to that, and all our efforts at the multilateral level here at the UN,” he said.
Lamola’s visit comes after the Trump administration introduced new visa restrictions targeting South Africans whom Washington accuses of being responsible for discriminatory policies. Pretoria has rejected the characterisation and defended its sovereign right to pursue policies aimed at addressing the country’s historical inequalities.
The minister has also used his US engagements to reinforce South Africa’s position on international law and multilateral institutions. In remarks in New York on Monday, Lamola said South Africa remained committed to the principles of the UN Charter, including “sovereign equality of all nations” and the right to self-determination.
The engagement takes place on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where South Africa is pushing its broader agenda of multilateralism and reform of global institutions. SABC News reported that Lamola arrived in Washington last week before travelling to New York for the UNGA.
South Africa’s focus on multilateralism comes as its diplomatic relationship with Washington faces several points of tension, including disagreements over foreign policy, domestic legislation and trade.
The government has continued to argue that engagement remains important while maintaining its positions on international law and South Africa’s foreign policy priorities.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
