South Africa’s Second Term at the UN Security Council: Managing Expectations

"This paper provides a short section on how global shifts in power may impact upon the Council and the associated chances for reform, before examining key themes and issues that South Africa will likely have to confront during its imminent tenure. It also offers a number of policy recommendations. A great deal has been written about the shift in relative material power and influence that is taking place within the international system. What makes 2011 particularly interesting is the sharp acceleration of these trends since the global recession in 2009, the associated angst in the United States of America and a unique composition of the UN Security Council in 2011 consisting of a large number of the most prominent would-be additional permanent members."