South Africa and the United Nations Security Council
The Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC), in collaboration with the South African Department of Defence (DoD) in Tshwane, conducted a policy dialogue on “South Africa’s First Year on the UN Security Council” with about 15 senior DOD officials. Senior officials of South Africa’s foreign ministry were also panellists at this meeting in a bid to encourage dialogue and coordination between South Africa’s defence and foreign ministries.
The issues discussed included: a review of South Africa’s previous two tenures on the UN Security Council in 2007/2008 and 2011/2012; its current priorities on the Council involving “Women and Security”; “Silencing the Guns by 2020”; Security Relations between the UN and Africa’s Regional Bodies; South Africa’s Peacekeeping Efforts in UN missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Darfur, and South Sudan; as well as the Politics and Dynamics within the UN Security Council.
Plenary Session
Ambassador Welile Nhlapo, Former Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Political Affairs at the United Nations (UN) Secretariat in New York, and former South African Ambassador to the United States (US) and the African Union (AU).
General Derrick Mgwebi, Director-General in the South African Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans, and former United Nations’ (UN) Force Commander in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi.
Professor Adekeye Adebajo, Director of the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC) at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Professor Sandy Africa, Deputy-Dean and former Director of the Institute for Strategic and Political Affairs (ISPA), University of Pretoria.
Mr. Zaheer Laher, Acting Chief Director in the United Nations, Peace and Security at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Event Type
Venue
Department of Defense (DOD).
Date
22 October 2019
Image courtesy of: Wikimedia
























































Ms Zoliswa Ntsoko (South Africa) is the Institute’s Administrative Assistant who assists with general administration and research. She is a seasoned professional with a background in Disaster Management. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Management from Milpark Business School, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management from Regenesys Business School. She also holds certificates in Project Management, and in Disaster Management. Previously, she has worked as a Disaster Management Specialist at the City of Johannesburg – Disaster Management Centre.
Ms Cecilia Lwiindi Nedziwe-Moyo is the Research Coordinator at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. She previously served as a Regional Coordinator at the Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa (CPIA) in Zimbabwe between 2007 and 2013. She completed her master’s degree in International Studies, Peace, and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Australia as a Rotary Peace Scholar. She has just completed her doctoral studies at Rhodes University. Her areas of interest include: gender, foreign policy, regional organisations and conflict resolution.



Ms Thembeka Somtseu is a seasoned professional with a background in the textile and construction sectors. She holds a National Diploma in Business Administration from the Durban University of Technology, and studied Development Communication and Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. She worked as a corporate communications specialist for more than ten years, serving in both local and multinational companies.