Researcher Ashraf Patel says South Africa might want to rethink its diplomacy. [Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto]
Diplomacy is an expensive effort and it is about time that South Africa rethinks its involvement in global platforms like the United Nations (UN), G20 and BRICS. That is according to a research associate at a Pretoria-based think tank.
Speaking in an interview with Salaamedia, Ashraf Patel, research associate at the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD) said he was not convinced South Africa’s involvement in diplomatic efforts were yielding dividends.
“It’s a huge expense,” he said, noting the budget directed towards activities involving the UN, G20 and BRICS, to name a few multilateral bodies. “The verdict is still out, whether our diplomatic resources are returning any development and trade dividends.”
Describing diplomatic activities as “quite an expensive exercise”, Patel said perhaps “we need to rethink how we engage the global platforms for our own national development pathway”.
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UN Assembly
Patel’s comments come ahead of the 78th annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), scheduled to kick off on Tuesday. President Cyril Ramaphosa will be one of 140 leaders and representatives to attend the session in New York.
This year, attendees will convene under the theme of “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity’. This was reportedly the idea of incoming UNGA president, ambassador Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago.
Speaking of his expectations ahead of the meeting, Patel said climate change, the Russia-Ukraine war and other simmering conflicts in other parts of the world are likely to top the agenda.
“I would definitely think climate change and the natural disasters in the last several weeks would definitely take centre stage. Russia-Ukraine will be one of many issues, but I would say several conflicts that have mushroomed in sub-Saharan Africa would also take centre stage; it would be finding peaceful resolutions for all these conflicts,” he said.
While South Africa has long enjoyed a seat at the table in formations like G20, he said it was time the country took the time to consider the benefits of belonging to such groupings. For now, though, he suggested, there was not much to show for it.
