Through my voice, the message of my country, South Africa, Africa and Global South found expression in the formal platforms of the United Nations. I had the privilege to be the mouthpiece of South Africa's policy positions during a critical period on changing global geopolitics, marked by strained relations amongst the Permanent 5 in the Security Council, divisions between the Global North and South, the rise of right-wing nationalism and populism, growing unilateralist tendencies, attempts to weaken the multilateral system, and growing agency of Africa and the global south in global politics. The old contentious issues like the question of Palestine, post-war situations in Iraq, the questions of Iran and Syria, and issues of nuclear non-proliferation persisted along new questions posed by the challenge of climate change, environmental degradation, resource confl icts and technologies.
This is an era of challenges and possibilities at the same time.
Ambassador Jerry Matthews Matjila, Former Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations