Diplomatic Pouch
Mozambique's gas holds promise for SA's energy security
An Energy Planning Colloquium hosted by South Africa's Department of Energy from 29-30 March served to highlight the challenges the country faces in meeting its high energy demand. As defined by the minister of energy, Dipuo Peters and the minister in the presidency, responsible for the National Planning Commission, Trevor Manual, this included ensuring energy security and efficiency; competitive energy pricing; and lastly, encouraging growth while reducing carbon emissions in the sector.
SA should lead in putting Africa first
The existing global economic governance arrangements are failing. They are incapable of dealing with our challenges of poverty, inequality, unemployment and environmental degradation. Nevertheless, they are proving to be exceptionally resistant to change. Although the old powers -- primarily Europe and the United States -- have lost some of their authority, they have demonstrated that they will not easily surrender control and are still capable of imposing their will on the international community in matters of most interest to them. It means that achieving substantial, progressive global economic governance reform will be a slow, painful process. It requires emerging powers to exploit each opportunity, no matter how small, for advancing the process of change. Skilled diplomatic efforts are needed when the chances for clear victories are slim but can generate collateral benefits that increase the chances of future successes.
Australia, New Zealand and the African Union
There's been a good discussion so far of South Africa's role at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa this January, and its bid for Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to take up the Chair of the AU Commission. It would come as no surprise if the controversy over the Chair's position eclipsed other activity at Addis. Also there in January were the Foreign Ministers of Australia and New Zealand.
Electing a new female head of the World Bank
The World Bank needs a new president. Historically, he has been selected by the US president. This is unacceptable and must change. In fact, there is agreement that there should be a transparent and merit-based selection process. That the Europeans and their allies reneged on this commitment when they selected Christine Lagarde as the MD of the International Monetary Fund makes it even more important that the World Bank sets the precedent of how a transparent and merit-based selection process should work. Doing so will require the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, SA) and the other emerging market members of the Group of 20 to behave more responsibly than they did in the Lagarde case. What does this mean for South Africa?
Latest Publications
African Solutions: Best Practices from the African Peer Review Mechanism
A new book released by the South African Institute of International Affairs and published by Jacana Media examines the governance success stories of a number of African states. Entitled "African Solutions: Best Practices from the African Peer Review Mechanism", the book is the outcome of research into the policies, programmes and experiences identified as "best practices" from the first 12 countries that published Country Review Reports (CRRs) under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). These countries are Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. The APRM was conceived as a voluntary mechanism and, in the absence of 'hard pressure' for compliance, incentives - rather than sanctions - could be the way to strengthen governance on the continent.
Implementing the APRM: Views from Civil Society
During the 17th African Union Summit in tropical Malabo, Equatorial Guinea from 23 June to 1 July 2011, governance will once again come under the spotlight. On 29 June, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Forum of Heads of State and Government convene, where Zambia is set to become the 15th country to be peer reviewed, a revised APRM Questionnaire is being considered, and many states will report on implementing their National Programmes of Action. Governance gaps will also be considered in Midrand, South Africa on 28 June, when the APRM Monitoring Project (AMP) – run jointly by SAIIA, the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) and the Africa Governance, Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP)– will launch its independent assessment of governance in South Africa entitled “Implementing the APRM: Views from Civil Society”.
Research Reports
The Power of Oil: Charting Uganda's Transition to a Petro-State
By Petrus de Kock and Kathryn Sturman
SAIIA Report No 10, March 2012
Download-English [pdf].
‘Troubled Waters’ Sustaining Uganda’s Lake Victoria Nile Perch Fishery
by Alex Benkenstein
SAIIA Research Report No 9, October 2011
Download - English [.pdf]
