‘No foreign policy – no matter how ingenious – has any chance of success if it is born in the minds of a few and carried in the hearts of none’ – Henry A. Kissinger 

The programme has two sub-themes, namely South African foreign policy analysis and emerging powers.

South Africa foreign policy analysis
1) South Africa’s conduct of international relations, especially its role in international organisations like the UN Security Council, its choice of strategic partnerships, its leadership role in Africa, its public engagement and foreign policy decision making, has been intensely debated in the recent past. The FPA programme aims to provide a nuanced analysis and facilitate a structured discussion of South Africa’s foreign policy in a changing world environment for purposes of informing its future direction. The purpose is to unpack the extent to which the policy in its making, its nature and its application constitutes a principled and pragmatic response to a complex international environment. In doing so, we hope to be guided by an objective to promote a foreign policy that positions SA as a responsible global citizen committed to building bridges between various power blocs for the benefit of Africa and South Africans.

Current research within this focus area includes:

The South African Foreign Policy Review: The IGD coordinates a major review of SA foreign policy in all its thematic and geographical dimensions in order to identify weaknesses to be overcome and strengths to be reinforced. The first volume is now available, with work continuing on the second.

The role of Parliament and Foreign policy, with a focus on the continued democratisation of South Africa’s foreign policy, this project is focused on building an understanding of the role of parliament in foreign policy decision making and in international engagements.
This programme also produces research reports, opinion pieces and a number of seminars on questions relating to South Africa’s engagement with the world.

Drs Lesley Masters and Siphamandla Zondi jointly co-ordinate this programme.

 

2. The second sub-theme is on the role and impact of emerging powers/markets especially in championing developmental outcomes. For this reason, the IGD research and dialogue seek to understand the meaning and impact of new southern multilateralism in the form of clubs like BASIC and BRICS as well as bilateral relations, especially with African countries on Africa’s and South Africa’s interests. The focus currently is on the link between emerging power alliances and developmental aspirations of Africa and South Africa. Discussions on BASIC-BRICS-IBSA will involve counterparts in Brazil, India and China and the findings will be published in reports.

Current research within this focus area includes:

South-South Cooperation and the implications of the changing international geo-political dynamics, with a particular emphasis on South Africa’s engagement, which while working to advance South-South multilateralism, must also contend with the corresponding need to remain true to other universal values underpinning its foreign policy as well as guarantee the specific interests of its immediate environment, that is, the African continent. This includes specific focus on South Africa’s role in the geo-political South as part of BRICS and IBSA.

Global governance with a particular focus on emerging powers and the future of engagement between countries of the Indian Ocean Rim and the South Atlantic.

Mr Francis Kornegay coordinates this area of study.