Publication

This brief provides an overview of the South African government’s position on the protection of civilians within the context of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) framework. More specifically, the author looks at 1) South Africa’s initial support of the R2P doctrine; 2) South Africa’s approach to conflict resolution; 3) South Africa’s role while serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council; and 4) the constraints on South Africa’s R2P stance. Overall, the author contends that tensions and apparent contradictions in South Africa’s position on R2P are consistent with the broader tensions in its foreign policy.