DIRCO Annual Report

OCSLA (IL) was responsible for managing the Foreign Service Bill through Parliament, which was adopted by the National Assembly in November 2019. The Foreign Service Act, 2019 was assented by to the President on 26 May 2020 and published in the Government Gazette on 4 June 2020. It provides for a single Foreign Service system for the country and the management, administration, accountability and functioning of a professional Foreign Service. Its officials participated in the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) that was activated to address the COVID-9 global pandemic in South Africa, providing advice and guidance on all matters relating to international law. The South African Treaty Section, the official custodian of the South African Treaty Collection, which consists of 3 177 treaties in the South African Treaty Register, and 174 in the Provincial Treaties Register, bound 33 international agreements and instruments of ratification or accession. It also acts as custodian for all national reports that South Africa must submit in terms of its reporting obligations and is also responsible for publishing immunities and privileges conferred on international meetings and the establishment of offices of international organisations by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation in the official Government Gazette .

the programmes offered by the Academy, namely the Mission Administration and Foreign Attaché Administration Courses. These programmes were unfortunately unable to conclude as scheduled, which caused an unnecessary knock-on effect for subsequent residential courses. Although faced with severe budget constraints, and while preparing to fully respond to additional demands as dictated by the Foreign Service Act, the branch is hopeful that it will be able to continue to position itself as a centre of excellence and to expand its outreach, both domestically, and on the continent, through its digitisation process and to deliver on its mandate. Office of the Chief State Law Adviser (International Law) OCSLA (IL) States promote their international interests and well-being through the mechanism of diplomacy, and international law provides the rules regulating diplomatic interaction and relations between states and the operation of international organisations. In this regard, OCSLA (IL) provided legal advice and support to government departments, including DIRCO, on all aspects of international law, while also proving legal advice (478) on the operations of DIRCO and its missions abroad, and managing all litigation involving the department and its missions. Written legal opinions on a wide variety of international law subject matters were provided, while 21 international agreements were certified for the purpose of obtaining preparatory negotiations for a Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of Crime of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes, which will serve as a modern inter-state procedural framework for mutual legal assistance and extradition • negotiations for an international legally-binding instrument under the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction • negotiations to finalise and adopt the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters and managing extradition requests. Presidential authorisation for their conclusion. Major outcomes included participation in: •

Annual Report 2020/2021 I Vote No. 6

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