Summary
Africa stands at a crossroads in global diplomacy. As the post-Cold War multilateral system fractures under pressure from competing powers and the selective application of international rules, the continent faces a fundamental choice: unite to shape the changing world order or remain passive as change happens around it. This critical juncture has prompted serious reflection among African policymakers and scholars about how the continent can better navigate an increasingly complex diplomatic landscape.
A collaborative workshop organised by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), and Stellenbosch University examined this challenge through the lens of practical diplomacy. The initiative, ‘Principles with Pragmatism: Insights for African Foreign Ministries’ UN Strategies’ brought together over 35 participants from universities, think tanks and practitioners from across Africa and New York, in Pretoria on 11–12 September 2025.
This document emerged from a deliberate collaborative methodology designed to capture diverse perspectives and generate actionable insights for African foreign ministries ahead of the UN High-Level General Debate. Each workshop session was recorded and transcribed using AI tools, with an initial draft summarising core themes generated from these transcripts, participant notes, and flipchart insights to expedite development within the session timeframe.
This preliminary synthesis provided participants with a structured foundation during working group sessions, where they refined arguments, added insights, challenged assumptions, and ensured coherence across different perspectives. The approach ensured that both formal presentations and informal discussions contributed to the final analysis while maintaining the analytical rigour necessary for policy relevance. The expedited timeline was deliberate, enabling circulation to African foreign ministries before the critical High-Level week beginning 23 September 2025, when strategic positioning becomes paramount.
