Lamola Outlines Pretoria's Stance on UN Reform, BRICS Cohesion, and Global Conflicts Ahead of 81st General Assembly
By Frans Sello waga Machate I Pretoria, South Africa
PRETORIA — South Africa will support a candidate from Latin America for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, with a preference for a woman to become the first female to hold the office, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola announced during a media briefing today, 5 August 2026.
"There is an unwritten tradition and culture in the UN of rotation and this time is a turn of Latin America," Minister Lamola stated.
The Minister confirmed that candidate Rebeca Grynspan will visit South Africa for engagements, though he clarified that this does not constitute an endorsement. "It is a common practice that candidatures visit different countries to lobby, to engage," he said. "We will be engaging her from that context of understanding her vision."
The 81st session of the General Assembly will also mark a change in guard as Secretary-General António Guterres's term draws to an end. South Africa commended the outgoing Secretary-General for his leadership and commitment to multilateralism and expressed readiness to work closely with the next incumbent "in a manner that reforms the UN so that it is fully reflective of a post-colonial society, with Africa finally being represented on the Security Council."
"We believe that the answer to the current crisis of multilateralism is not less multilateralism, but better and more inclusive multilateralism," Minister Lamola affirmed. He stressed that "international law cannot be applied selectively. The credibility of the international system depends on the equal application of its rules, regardless of the power or influence of the states involved."
South Africa remains firmly committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law. The country will participate in the High-Level Week of the General Assembly commencing 22 September 2026, advancing these principles in close cooperation with Bangladesh, which holds the Presidency of the General Assembly during the 81st session under the theme: "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All."
South Africa will participate in the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, under the theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Security." The Summit is expected to focus on maintaining unity within an expanded and more diverse membership, while advancing cooperation on global governance reforms, economic development, and the interests of the Global South.
Addressing the outcome of the recent BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting in India, Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa, clarified that "the document was fully negotiated and 99% of it was actually agreed despite the challenges with the expansion of BRICS. There was only one paragraph that was not agreed. We saw this as a positive outcome in the sense that we could agree on all the principles and values that have always underpinned BRICS since its formation."
The Summit will focus on strengthening BRICS cooperation through a people-centred development agenda, expanding trade and investment, and promoting reform of the UN and international financial institutions. Discussions will take into consideration ongoing geopolitical tensions, including conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, with members seeking to emphasize multipolarity, strategic autonomy and consensus-based diplomacy.
South Africa continues to call for the urgent cessation of conflicts in Russia-Ukraine and Iran. "The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states remain inviolable," the Minister emphasized. South Africa supports all efforts to bring these conflicts to an end and welcomes initiatives aimed at facilitating negotiations.
On Sudan, Minister Lamola described the situation as "more than just a humanitarian catastrophe - it is one of the biggest moral failures in our lifetime." South Africa will use the upcoming Extraordinary Summit of the African Union on conflict prevention in Luanda (29-30 August) as "a critical opportunity to mobilize the continent towards a structured intervention."
