In the State of the Nation Address of 2008, President Zuma directed that South African foreign policy be aligned to the country's domestic priorities. In response, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (the Department) undertook to align its work in order to contribute to the national priorities, and at the same time, it pledged to undertake a process of developing a White Paper on Foreign Policy, and establishing a consultative process with stakeholders in discussions of the foreign policy and national interest. Furthermore, the Department had been criticised around the elitist nature of foreign policy; and in response it rolled out a campaign to reach out to members of the public and involve the people in activities of the Department. The Department has since rolled out its outreach program in the provinces of Limpopo, Free State, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.