Ambassador Jerry Matjila is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg. He has served as the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations in New York. His distinguished career in the diplomatic service includes holding senior positions, such as Director-General of the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). Additionally, Ambassador Matjila was the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 2010 to 2011, during which time he also served as Consul-General for the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland. From 2001 to 2006, he was the South African Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Community.