DIRCO Annual Report

Consolidation of relationships with bilateral and regional partners in support of domestic, regional and international priorities The department continued to facilitate engagements at various levels, in particular, to garner support for domestic priorities. In light of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, engagements with partners had a particular focus on, among others: • Garnering support in the fight against COVID-19, including through donations of medical equipment and protective gear • Partnerships in infrastructure development, research and development, including on vaccine development. • Joint efforts in support of regional and international initiatives such as ACT-A and COVAX. • The department and missions actively engaged foreign governments to seek support on the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver that South Africa and other developing countries have proposed in the World Trade Organisation. • The department and missions consulted on the travel restrictions imposed on South Africa due to concerns about the 501Y.V2 Coronavirus variant. It also prepared information for the department’s Natjoints representatives on travel restrictions, as well as lockdown and other regulations imposed in Western European countries to contain the spread of the virus. • Vaccine passport : The travel ban that was signed on 25 January 2021 and which suspended entry into the US by nationals from various countries, including South Africa, is still in place. There is a growing backlog of South African students who have applied for visas and are unable to secure appointments at the US consulates in the country. The Biden Administration has indicated that it would not create a federal “vaccine passport”, but New York is the first state in the US to launch a vaccine passport using an app funded by the State and built on IBM’s digital health pass platform. The passport is described as a means to make reopening an easy and safe process for the New York economy (bars, theatres, tourism, restaurants and business).

Currently, Canada does not accept vaccine passports. Canada is actively engaged in international conversations on standards and policies for COVID-19 vaccination certificates. Western Europe Several European countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, made substantive donations of PPE and other forms of COVID support. Latin America and the Caribbean South Africa maintains cordial relations with countries in the region through SBMs and high level engagements, in pursuit of South Africa’s national priorities, with particular focus on expanding economic ties with the region. Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean view South Africa as a priority partner and gateway to the continent. Health cooperation with Cuba continued to be a critical area of cooperation for South Africa. Around 600 South African medical students are studying in Cuba. 732 South Africans have qualified as doctors since the inception of the Nelson Mandela/Fidel Castro training programme in 1997 and are rendering services to communities across South Africa. Health cooperation took on an even greater significance with the Cuban Medical Brigade that was deployed on 27 April 2020. Under the auspices of the South Africa-Cuba Health agreement, a multidisciplinary team of 217 Cuban health workers were deployed to bolster South Africa’s fight against COVID-19. South Africa nominated the Cuban Medical Brigade for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. In January 2021, Cuba communicated the interest of the BIOCUBAFARMA Group to discuss the Cuban SOBERANA 02 COVID vaccine with the South African Department of Health and the possible conclusion of bilateral technology transfer agreements. Science and technology cooperation with Cuba made great strides in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. There were engagements with Cuba on a COVID-19 vaccine and animal vaccines and previously on medicines for Hepatitis B and the Human Papilloma Virus. Science and technology cooperation with Cuba has been targeting areas such as technology development, health innovation, vaccine development and medical technology products, training and student exchange programmes. Major achievements Education, skills and health

Department of International Relations and Cooperation

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