Abstract:
This article critically examines the role of South Africa with special reference to the
values embodied in the human rights principles of the UN system and argues for a reemphasis
of a rights-based foreign policy guided by a non-alignment loyal only to the
normative frameworks established by the UN for global governance. It is argued that
South Africa’s foreign policy should be measured mainly in terms of its willingness to
engage with the global governance system as represented by the UN, and its support of
the normative frameworks codified by the UN as relevant reference points for any
country’s policy. It is suggested that South Africa, despite its claims of being in
unconditional support of such rights-based agenda, might be able to do better if less
guided by strategic parameters.
