The South African government has said that the involvement of the Nigerian government was important and critical to the country and global development.
This was contained in a just published summary of the discussion and principal conclusions that was drafted during the recent summit titled “The Roles of South Africa and the United States for the 21st Century International Agenda”
The event, held in Pretoria, was organised by the University of Pretoria Department Of Political Science and the Stanley Foundation which brought together prominent experts from the United States and South African foreign policy communities in Pretoria to discuss their two countries’ roles as global leaders.
In the summary of? the discussion which was obtained by LEADERSHIP, the South African experts who were at the event noted that Nigeria was critical to global leadership and the country in particular, stressing that South Africa could not be seen doing it alone in Africa.
They continued in the reports that the country needed to work with reliable partners, especially Nigeria, noting that the tensions between the two African powers needed to be defused as a matter of urgency.
“That said, South Africa’s preference for dialogue rather than the use of force remains a hallmark of its foreign policy—an approach that speaks to the roots of post-apartheid South Africa” they pointed.
?However, while experts from the United States, South Africa? and Canada were forthright about their differences, they also took pains to emphasize the solid foundation for cooperation between the United States and South Africa, two democracies with heterogeneous populations and a shared commitment to the values of peace, justice, and human rights.
Participants highlighted the inherent tension between the considerations of effectiveness and legitimacy as nations structure their multilateral cooperation. It is all too easy for an established power to focus on effectiveness and downplay the need to give emerging powers and regional representation an enhanced role.
There was consensus among participants that reforming the composition of the United Nations Security Council is not only desirable but necessary and they as well recognized the obstacles to reform, including questions about the degree of other African countries’ support for South Africa’s candidacy.