Executive summary

The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation (the Committee), based its work on its Strategic Plan 2009-2014. The plan was developed in conjunction with stakeholders with interest in international relations, the priorities of government and the strategic objectives of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (the Department). Each year the Committee would agree on its Annual Business plan for guidance on its activities for the year. However, due to the evolving nature of international relations, the Committee had to adapt to urgent matters that emerged and adjusted the programme to accommodate the changes. The Committee also received a number of delegations which were conducting follow-your-aid tours to South Africa pursuant to bilateral relations existing between their countries and South Africa.

1. Reflection on committee programme per year and on whether the objectives of such programmes were achieved

1.1 2009 and 2010 Committee programme

The Committee has been seized with the issue of the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe and a variety of activities have been held, including briefings and being part of Parliamentary observer missions for a referendum and elections held in Zimbabwe.

Apart from involvement in Zimbabwe’s election issues, the Committee has closely monitored developments in that country and the South African Government’s role in bringing about an amicable political settlement. Armed with a mandate from SADC, South Africa facilitated dialogue between the conflicting parties. In 2008, this culminated in the signing of critical agreements that paved the way for the formation of a government of national unity amongst others.

During this period the Committee further received a briefing from the Department on Amendments to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) which may be deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects.

1.2 2011 Committee programme

The focus areas for the term were largely influenced by the developments in North Africa and the Middle East. With regard to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, more tensions were fuelled by the application by Palestine for full membership to the United Nations. Israel did not agree with the bid, hence the Committee focused on finding the best way to respond to the situation. Relevant stakeholders were engaged, unique forum was created where the ambassadors of both Israel and Palestine were openly discussing their positions, with civil society in support of either side also making an input. The Committee was put in a better and informed position to suggest a response for consideration by Parliament.

South Africa hosted the UN Conference on climate change (COP 17), 28 November-9 December 2011. The Department was responsible for logistical processes to ensure that COP17 achieves tangible results, on the African soil. The Committee undertook a verification oversight visit to ensure that the venue, other processes and South Africa as a country was ready to host COP17.

The Committee further had a Briefing by the Department on the latest developments in Swaziland. The Committee’s interest was that in its quest to have stability and prosperity along our borders, South Africa should engage with Swazi authorities to ensure that the political crisis in Swaziland was attended to through negotiations by all concerned in that country.

The Committee held a Workshop on South African Customs Union (SACU) jointly with the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry.

The committee further received a briefing by the Department on the imprisonment in Israel of Members of Parliament from the Hamas Legislative Council and on the political developments in the Sudan and Cote D’Ivoire.

The Committee further received a briefing from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation on the recent political developments in Egypt and Tunisia. It is in the interest of the Committee to understand how these developments will influence the political landscape in North Africa, and its impact on the Palestinian question.

In a nutshell, the period was busy and fruitful in that the Committee has tangible results at hand from its activities during this period.

1.3 2012 Committee programme

During this period, the committee held a workshop on processes regarding regional integration in the South African Development Community (SADC). The Workshop covered issues around regional integration, which talked to, a deeper integration agenda in a new vision for SACU, Assessing regional integration performance in East and Southern Africa: success stories, challenges and what needs to be done; what South Africa stand to benefit from these arrangements.

The Committee held a workshop on the role of Parliament in treaty-making processes. The workshop was held to explore options for early involvement of Parliament in the treaty-making processes in South Africa; and to discuss modalities for enhancing current mechanisms for scrutinising treaties and oversight on their implementation.

The Committee held a Workshop on the framework for consideration of treaties and oversight strategy on their implementation. The Workshop entailed step by step presentations , including what treaties are , why they are essential, treaty terms, unpacking section 231 of the Constitution, comparisons of treaty making procedures with other jurisdictions, when do we become bound, issues around incorporation and implementation and samples of actual treaties.

The Committee also held a Seminar on the involvement of South African companies and personnel in security related activities and business abroad. The seminar covered discussions on the concept of a code of business conduct for South African companies abroad; and the impact of their activities on the conduct of foreign policy abroad. It further covered possible alternatives to guide South Africa’s future business engagements on the continent, within the confines of foreign policy.

The Committee adopted its review mid-term strategic plan in 2012/2013. During the quarter; the Committee was able to engage issues of relevance to the work of Parliament and South Africa as a whole.

The Committee had a meaningful engagement with a delegation from the Parliament of Namibia. Their purpose of meeting with the Committee was to acquaint themselves with the mandate and activities of the Committee; and exchange ideas and share experience in this regard. The Committee also discussed an update on the then political impasse in Mali and Syria and the events leading to the election of Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to the position of AU Chairperson.

1.4 2013 Committee programme

During this period; the Committee held a Round table discussion on the participation of South Africa in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) forum. The roundtable sought to examine how South Africa’s role in BRICS could strengthen economic development within South Africa and Africa at large. It was further examined how South Africa’s involvement in BRICS could benefit South Africa and its economy, and assist in achieving the country’s developmental and security goals.

The Committee received briefing by the Department on the then political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Committee further discussed the conflict which was waging in the DRC and on the progress of South Africa in its negotiations with the rebel group in DRC.

The Committee further held a dialogue on South Africa-Cuba relations. The meeting discussed how Cuba contributed to the struggles of the peoples of the region (SADC), against domination and apartheid. Furthermore, the Committee discussed how Cuba had contributed towards addressing some of the South African government's domestic priorities, such as in health, education, sport and rural development. The meeting further discussed solidarity with Cuba regarding the incarceration of the five Cubans in an American jail.

The Committee held a dialogue for a deeper understanding of the Middle East region. The dialogue discussed the Middle East region, the importance of its historical make over and the geo-political relations between the countries of the region. Other topics were: The people of the region, recent regional changes and their impact/s on the Palestine-Israel Situation, South Africa’s foreign policy - Adapting to regional changes and understanding the region.

1.5 2014 Committee programme

During this period; the Committee held a solidarity conference in support of the peoples of Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara. The solidarity conference was a first of its kind in Parliament. It was a culmination of extensive work carried out by the Committee in response to the call by President Zuma in his successive State of the Nation addresses since 2010. The President’s message was that solidarity is and should feature as a strong element of South Africa’s internationalism. The Committee has adopted the report from the conference as a true reflection of what took place. The Democratic Alliance reserved its position on the matter. Subsequently, the Committee made its own recommendations on the matters emanating from the report. The Democratic Alliance and the African Christian Democratic Party dissented on the adoption of the recommendations; the Inkatha Freedom Party abstained from the vote on the recommendations of the Committee.

2. Committee’s focus areas during the 4^th Parliament

The work covered was in line with the 2009-2014 Strategic plan of the Committee, the strategic objectives of the Department and the priorities of government. The following are the activities of the Committee as oversight over the programmes of the Department.

a. Programme 1: Administration

Issues dealt with under this programme included ensuring strategic allocation of resources; ensuring there was improvement on the financial management of the African Renaissance Fund, the supply chain management, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) issues and extension of Consular and civic services to South Africans abroad. The need for a focused management of the Department’s property portfolio and for human resources which could strengthen the organisation became very important. The activities of the Diplomatic Academy were examined to ensure it provided strategic foreign policy recommendations by conducting research on global trends and geostrategic shifts, for early warning purposes. The placement of South African professionals in bodies to which the country is a member was strongly advocated. The overall issue of concern was the heavily burdened budget of the Department, not really increasing but the mandate was growing and most of the activities were carried out abroad, with foreign exchange fluctuations affecting it even more. The annual reports of the Auditor General of South Africa on the performance of the Department and its agency, the African Renaissance Fund were also discussed continuously through the term.

b. Programme 2: International Relations and Cooperation

This programme carried the bulk of the activities of the Department, and had the bigger share of the budget over the five years, and therefore the Committee had to dedicate a lot of time dealing with the items under this programme. The programme entailed: enhanced African Agenda and sustainable development; strengthening political and economic integration in the Southern African Development Community (SADC); strengthening South-South relations; strengthening relations with the strategic formations of the North; participation in the global system of governance; and strengthening political and economic relations. The African Agenda became the main activity; with political developments and holding of elections in different parts of Africa taking center stage. The other issues included economic integration of SADC; the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Presidential infrastructure projects; peace and security issues and South African troops’ involvement in SADC, the AU and the United Nations (UN) peace-keeping missions including humanitarian assistance.

The activities of the African Renaissance Fund in promoting peaceful resolution of conflicts and work towards Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development formed part of the debates. Oversight was conducted around the activities of South Africa after it joined the BRICS formation; and the 3^rd summit was held in Durban on 27 March 2013. Discussions were also made on the India, Brazil and South Africa forum (IBSA) issues. A number of trade agreements were approved for ratification aimed at strengthening strategic formations of the North. The Committee kept its finger on the pulse of activities by South Africa and performance of the Department in multilateral forums in furtherance of participation in the global system of governance such as in the UN, AU, UN agencies, its two tenures in the UN Security Council, and in SADC. The Committee’s oversight on the hosting a climate change conference was of great significance.

c. Programme 3: Public Diplomacy and State Protocol

Public diplomacy became an issue of continuous discussions on the importance of a strategic approach to dissemination of information to the general public both local and international. The need for a proactive public diplomacy was a key issue for oversight. The issue was also extended to include outreach programmes where the perceived elitist nature of South African foreign policy was discussed with the general public. Branding of the Department with the Minister as the face of South Africa’s foreign policy was part of the many recommendations made. Oversight on State protocol was conducted through assessing the readiness and functionality of State Protocol lounges at international airports in the country, only Durban was inspected for the period.

d. International Transfers

Oversight was conducted on how well and timely South Africa paid its dues to the international organisations the country is party to. The issue of quotas for employment of South Africans in these organisations was a key factor. The concerns relating to the Department paying for portfolios of other departments in international organisations was also raised.

3. Highlights in general

· From the onset, the Committee had a common understanding that with matters of foreign policy, there could be no conflicting messages to the outside world. As a result, debates in the Committee meetings were still along party positions as is the practice in Parliament, but the outcome on a policy issue would have sufficient consensus on the message to be communicated or advanced on the conduct of South African foreign policy.

· Oversight was conducted on the deliverables under the African Agenda, covering activities under the policy in five economic regions of Africa: northern, western, central, eastern and southern. African Agenda was carried on through political, economic and social activities. Discussions on peace keeping and mediation also formed part of the highlights. The Committee addressed the elitist perception of the foreign policy and the alignment of foreign policy to domestic priorities.

It ensured that Africa was a priority in terms of economic growth, peace and stability, humanitarian assistance and focused on the economic integration of SADC. It discussed South-South cooperation; North-South relations; human rights issues especially affecting the right to self-determination and right to free economic participation; financial matters of the Department; administrative matters; training and development matters affecting staff of the Department; matters regarding the activities of the African Renaissance Fund and training of members in parliamentary diplomacy and protocol. It held outreach programmes, dialogues, symposia and a solidarity conference. When South Africa was in the UN Security Council twice, the Committee continuously advised on the importance of proactive communication on the various principled positions taken or to be taken.

· Involvement in Committee deliberations of civil society in all its formations was its huge achievement. Outreach programmes were held in two provinces and a decision was taken that treaties be centrally managed by the Committee. A number of dialogues were held to discuss foreign policy issues of interest and which the public had different viewpoints; a solidarity conference was also held in support of Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara. The perception that foreign policy was elitist was addressed through allowing public input into Committee’s discussions.

· A workshop was held where issues around the access for South African companies to make inroads into Africa was discussed, and companies made aware they were also bearers of the foreign policy flag which include promotion of human rights, good work ethics and respect for internal laws of countries they would be doing business from, and weighed the pros and cons of having a code of conduct for such companies. The oversight activities were advanced around the African Agenda relating to political developments and peace-keeping efforts in every region of Africa. Fruitful engagements advocated the placement of qualified South African citizens in strategic positions within international organisations that the country is party to.

4. Key areas for future work

· Discuss and use the paper on the role of the Committee regarding its oversight over the Department.

· Orientation of members on the mandate of the Committee.

· Address the Parliamentary oversight model and its impact on the mandate of the Committee.

· Strategic plan session for 2014-2019 in collaboration with stakeholders.

· Continued collaboration with the non-governmental stakeholders with interest in foreign policy issues.

· Training for Members on development diplomacy, peace-keeping diplomacy, economic diplomacy, parliamentary diplomacy, public diplomacy, environmental diplomacy. These are the new and trendy international relations focus areas for multilateral and bilateral cooperation.

· Oversight strategy on the implementation of the policy on aligning foreign policy to domestic priorities through economic diplomacy.

· Oversight strategy on the activities of the South African missions and embassies abroad relating to implementation of their mandate.

· Enhance the role of South African missions abroad, to balance their act in terms of strengthening economic relations to be at par with political relations with strategic countries/partners.

· There is a need to advocate the importance of closer collaboration between government and business in furtherance of the economic diplomacy drive.

· Oversight strategy on ensuring the prioritisation of Africa as a key deliverable in the conduct of foreign policy.

· Oversight strategy on the implementation of economic diplomacy policy, through monitoring activities on bilateral commissions of cooperation with different countries.

· Oversight strategy on the implementation of international agreements under the purview of the Department.

· Continuation of the Outreach programme in the other seven provinces to demystify foreign policy. Only Limpopo and Western Cape were visited.

· Need for a research based foreign policy, from the departmental institutions, such as the Diplomatic academy and the Research and Development unit, which should adapt to emerging trends in international relations.

· Focussed oversight over the financial and non-financial activities of the African Renaissance Fund.

· Implementation strategy for implementation of Parliamentary resolutions on treaty processes in Parliament.

· Examination of all policies for the administration of foreign policy, such as the, consular assistance policy.

· Examination of legislation under the purview of the Department to identify areas that might need improvement.

· Finalisation by the Department of issues around the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA), Foreign Service Bill, South African Council of International Relations (SACOIR).

· Continuation of outreach programmes, awareness campaigns on knowledge of foreign policy issues as per lessons learned from solidarity conference.

5. Key challenges emerging

· Parliamentary oversight model posed challenges regarding intended oversight programmes of the Committee. The uniqueness of the foreign policy portfolio is that the conduct of foreign policy is carried out by the headquarters of the Department in South Africa, and the bulk of the work is discharged by the many South African missions abroad. This phenomenon demands that the Committee conducts oversight on the activities of the South African missions abroad; and assess South Africa’s performance in international organisations party to. The oversights could not be undertaken abroad as they would have to be regarded as study tours, and subject to the frequencies prescribed in the current oversight model.

· The alignment of foreign policy to domestic imperatives is yet to be understood in such a way that results on the ground point to the linkages needed.

· Due to the technical nature of the issues on the mandate of the Committee, the need for designation of members to lead a subject –matter is pertinent to ensure deeper understanding around the issues.

· The membership of the Committee changed a number of times, including the Chairperson, thus affecting continuity.

· Attendance of meetings was not so regular, thus affecting adoption of minutes and reports.

· The Committee tended to deal with an issue in more than one sitting, resulting in other issues having to be taken out of the programme.

· It was not always possible to adhere to the annual business plan, the programme changed often due to the evolving nature of the mandate.

Body of the report

1. Introduction

1.1 Department/s and Entities falling within the committee’s portfolio

a) Department of International Relations and Cooperation:

The core mandate of the Department is to create a better South Africa and contribute to a better and safer Africa in a better world. It protects and consolidates South Africa’s national interest and constitutionally entrenched values through targeted bilateral and multilateral engagements; contribute to continental and global development, security and human rights for all through identified processes, mediation, peace support, post-conflict reconstruction efforts of multilateral institutions, structured bilateral mechanisms and multilateral engagements; promote multilateralism to secure an equitable rules-based global system of governance responsive to the needs of Africa and the developing world.

b) Entities:

The African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund is established through the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund Act, 2001 (Act 51 of 2001) to enhance cooperation between the Republic and other countries, through the promotion of democracy, good governance, the prevention and resolution of conflict, socio-economic development and integration, humanitarian assistance and human resource development.

1.2 Functions of committee:

Parliamentary committees are mandated to:

· Monitor the financial and non-financial performance of government departments and their entities to ensure that national objectives are met.

· Process and pass legislation.

· Facilitate public participation in Parliament relating to issues of oversight and legislation.

In particular, the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation oversees and ensures accountability in the formulation and conduct of South African foreign policy.

1.3 Method of work of the committee

The Committee engaged with the Department through briefings as is normal in Parliament. However, the Committee soon gathered a perception that foreign policy was regarded elitist, and the impact of activities in conducting foreign policy was not immediately felt by the people within South Africa. Therefore in order to ensure that foreign policy matters found resonance with the South African people, the Committee took a conscious decision to, for the first time, collaborate with a wider section of the society. This was the highlight in the work of the Committee.

A database of stakeholders was developed, from it; a classification was made as to which stakeholders would be engaged for different topics before the Committee. The database enabled the Committee to engage with civil society organisations, research institutions, academia, faith-based groups, international pressure groups, ambassadors, media, students and the general public. The Committee adopted a two-way approach to its engagement with stakeholders: it would call upon individuals to give expert analysis or their research findings on technical issues before the Committee; and it would also hold dialogues, symposia and a solidarity conference to bring together people with opposing views on specific subject-matters before the Committee.

Because of the perceived elitist nature of foreign policy, outreach programmes were held in Limpopo and the Western Cape for input by members of the general public on foreign policy issues, and also to increase awareness,

For oversight purposes, due to the uniqueness of its mandate in that it would have to assess implementation of policies outside the borders of South Africa, the Committee conducted one oversight abroad on the mission in Addis Ababa, coupled with the performance of South Africa as a member state of the African Union. Three oversight visits were conducted in Pretoria in the boardrooms of the headquarters of the Department. Two study tours were undertaken to Gaza and to Israel and the West Bank. On an investigative mission on the situation relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

1.4 Purpose of the report

The purpose of this report is to provide an account of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation’s work during the 4^th Parliament and to inform the members of the new Parliament of key outstanding issues pertaining to the oversight and legislative programme of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and its entities.

This report provides an overview of the activities the committee undertook during the 4^th Parliament, the outcome of key activities, as well as any challenges that emerged during the period under review and issues that should be considered for follow up during the 5^th Parliament. It summarises the key issues for follow-up and concludes with recommendations to strengthen operational and procedural processes to enhance the committee’s oversight and legislative roles in future.

2. Key statistics

The table below provides an overview of the number of meetings held, legislation and international agreements processed and the number of oversight trips and study tours undertaken by the committee, as well as any statutory appointments the committee made, during the 4^th Parliament:

Activity	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	Total
Meetings held	10	16	17	19	18	80
Legislation processed	None
Oversight trips undertaken		2	3	1		6
Study tours undertaken	0	0	1	0	1	2
International agreements processed	1	3	0	1	0	5
Statutory appointments made	None
Interventions considered	None
Petitions and Motions considered	0	0	0	1	1	2

3. Committee strategic plan

The Committee had two sessions with stakeholders dedicated to its strategic plan. The first was in 2009 for formulating its strategic plan for 2009-2013; the next round was in 2012, when it reviewed the plan to align it with the emerging priorities on focus areas as dictated by the government priorities over the five years. So, it seems from inception the Committee work has been shaped in collaboration with a wide spectrum of stakeholders, which is the major highlight for the Committee taking into consideration the peculiarities around the nature of its mandate.

4. Briefings and/or public hearings

Highlights from briefings by the Department on various issues were around the clean audit of the Department for the five years in its operations, and that it generally met its objectives as supported by the given budget. Performance of the Department has been good overall and in line with its mandate stipulated in the Outcome 11 agreement. The analyses of issues by the various branches of the Department were valuable to the Committee’s understanding of the issues, and facilitated subsequent debates in the Committee.

Some of the challenges that emerged were with regard to the Auditor General’s reports from 2010-2012 relating to the financial and non-financial performance of the African Renaissance Fund, the criteria for funding projects and verification of funded projects in countries that made requests. The reactive nature of public diplomacy strategy was also a concern, especially regarding communication with the public on principled policy positions taken in multilateral forums. The coordination with other spheres of government on activities of a foreign policy nature was found to require political buy-in. The availability of the Minister to address the Committee was raised.

The concern around the elitist nature of foreign policy was mooted; the members of the public had a little understanding of foreign policy and how it relates to their day to day lives. Communication with the Committee on issues of a foreign policy nature before being picked up by the media was raised as a concern. Presentation documents were often sent late, not allowing the Committee enough time to study and scrutinise the issues for discussion. With regard to performance of the missions abroad, it has not been possible for the Committee to verify information received through briefings by the Department because the institution would not allow such oversight visits to be undertaken, due to challenges posed by the current Parliamentary oversight model.

Due to the fact that the Committee received no requests for consideration of legislation, no public hearings of that nature were undertaken. However, the Committee creatively organised outreach programmes to gather views of the general public on their understanding of foreign policy and where it should focus in the future. Furthermore, the Committee held open dialogues, symposia and a solidarity conference, which in essence were public hearings and submissions were made to the Committee (in the form of recommendations, resolutions and declaration) on issues it wanted to have a position on with the benefit of input from the South African public.

5. Legislation

No pieces of legislation were referred to the Committee during the 4^th Parliament. However, as per the Strategic plan of the Department 2012-2017, the Committee was expecting the following three pieces of legislation to be tabled during the 4^th Parliament: (i) Southern African Development Partnership Agency Bill; (ii) Foreign Service Bill; and (iii) African Renaissance Fund Bill.

6. Oversight trips undertaken

The following oversight trips were undertaken:

Date	Area Visited	Objective	Recommendations	Status of Report
18-22 November 2010	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Oversight over the activities of the mission in the conduct of foreign policy; oversight on South Africa’ participation in the African Union	Active bilateral cooperation was encouraged. A friendship bilateral was encouraged.	Adopted by the Committee, ATCed and adopted by the House
28-30 July 2010	Limpopo province	Outreach how the public understood foreign policy; their input into how it should impact on their lives.	There was interest in foreign policy issues. People in Limpopo were not xenophobic, but feared that foreigners came to take their jobs.	Adopted by the Committee and ATCed
5 August 2011	Cape Town, University of Cape Town	Outreach: same as for Limpopo	The academia understood elements of foreign policy. Their main input was for a closer collaboration between Parliament, government and research institutions in building a strong basis for foreign policy.	Adopted by the Committee on 23 February 2011 and ATCed
14 November 2011	Durban, South Africa	COP17: to assess the state of readiness for hosting the COP17 conference.	South Africa was ready. Government urged to work towards realising tangible results on benefits for the developing countries.	Adopted by the Committee 30 November 2011 and ATCed
14 November 2011	Durban	State Protocol lounge: to assess the state of readiness to process VIPs passing through the international airport.	The lounge was then not fully operational. A second visit was recommened.	Adopted by the Committee 30 November 2011 and ATCed
29-30 January 2013	DIRCO headquarters in Pretoria	The Committee had made recommendations in its 2012 Budget Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR) which the Office of the Speaker had already communicated to the Department for necessary action. The Committee resolved to conduct oversight on the Department to assess how far the processes were in response to the Committee’s recommendations.	Proper and fit financial management of the activities of the ARF. Supply chain management needed proper monitoring. Public diplomacy strategy be developed and constantly reviewed.	Adopted by the Committee 14 August 2011 and ATCed on 10 September 2013

a) Challenges emerging

The following challenges emerged during the oversight visit:

· Technical/operational challenges

The late response and confirmation by the Department on the request by the committee for oversight visit often poses a challenge.

· Content-related challenges

The South African mission in Addis Ababa was not very clear of the oversight role that the Committee plays on it. This is so even to the branches of the Department; the underlying role of the Committee is not readily understood.

b) Issues for follow-up

· .The issue of active bilateral cooperation with Ethiopia was raised as important to advance trade and investment, and needed follow-up. The friendship group with the Parliament of Ethiopia was then proposed; follow-up with the Speaker’s office was necessary. The strengthening of the structures of the African Union was also raised; the Department needs to give an update. The issue of visas obtained through dubious means by some citizens of Ethiopia was to be followed up with Home Affairs.

· In the outreach programmes, the main issue was the need to understand how the international agreements being signed will benefit the people on the ground; and why funds were being spent in foreign countries while there were challenges at home such as the activities of post conflict reconstruction in Africa under the African Renaissance Fund. Outreach programmes should also be undertaken in other provinces.

· Another visit should be undertaken to Durban airport and the remaining international airport for assessment.

The 5^th Parliament should consider the following concerns that arose:

· Running an awareness campaign with the Department on the role of the Committee and how it extends to the activities of South African missions abroad, as the implementing agencies of the Department.

· Outreach programmes should continue to other provinces.

7. Study tours undertaken

The following study tours were undertaken:

Date	Places Visited	Objective	Lessons Learned	Status of Report
7 to 11 December 2011	.Study tour to Gaza, Palestine,	To understand the way Palestinians lived day to day; and how the blockade of Gaza by Israel has affected the livelihood in Gaza.		The report was ATCed and adopted by the House in 2013
31 March to 5 April 2013	Study tour to Palestine and Israel,	To understand the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and how both countries view a path to a permanent resolution of the conflict.	South Africa should continue being involved in the international processes towards a lasting solution on the Israeli/Palestine conflict.	The report was ATCed and adopted by the House in 2013

a) Challenges emerging

The following challenges emerged during the study tours:

· Technical/operational challenges

The delay in approval of political applications causes a range of logistical issues which eventually have a profound impact on the entire trip. As a result Parliament is unable to secure comprehensive Embassy support for the delegation upon arrival, which is necessary to ensure certain issues are dealt with and that no crises emerge to put the delegates at risk.

The delay of political parties confirming representatives to be part of delegations, subsequently leads to delay in applying for visas and making logistical arrangements such as flights and accommodation.

The 5^th Parliament should consider taking study tours relating to the operations of SADPA, for comparison on the elements of the Foreign Service Bill and comparison relating to how other similar committees conduct oversight and study tours.

8. International Agreements:

The following international agreements were processed and reported on:

Date referred	Name of International Agreement	Objective	Status of Report	Date of approval by Committee
	Accession to the 1^st Revision of the Cotonou agreement	It included human rights issues such as fight against terrorism and cooperating in countering proliferation of arms and Weapons of Mass Destruction	Approved by the House	Nov 2009
2 February 2010	Ratification of the Amending agreement to the SA-EU Trade, Development and Cooperation agreement (TDCA)	To include banning of proliferation of arms with the responsibility not to arm belligerency.	Approved by the House	8 September 2010
22 October 2010	Ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance	African Union Charter governing rule of law and deepening democracy in Africa through holding of elections	Approved by the House	November 2010
	Acceptance of amendments to the Convention on Prohibitions and restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons which may be deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects, also known as the Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW)	Prohibition of such weapons	Approved by the House	September 2010
4 September 2012	Ratification of the 2^nd Revision of the Cotonou agreement	Adapted the EU-ACP Partnership agreement to include current global challenges, such as climate change, food security, regional integration and aid effectiveness	Approved by the House	September 2012
25 October 2012	Agreement amending for the second time the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, of the one part, and the European Community and its member states, of the other part, dated	Allowing South Africa to continue participating in the ACP-EU forum for broader trade and political cooperation.	Approved by the House	24 October 2012

a) Challenges emerging

The following challenges emerged during the processing of international agreements:

· Technical/operational challenges

The late tabling of the agreements by the department left little time for the committee to adequately process the agreement before the expiry date.

· Content-related challenges

The agreements were tabled late, not allowing enough time for the Committee to be well briefed and scrutinise the content and what national interest the agreements were addressing.

The Committee is unable to oversee the ratification process of international agreements approved by Parliament. This information is essential in terms of international obligations and to ensure that South Africa domesticates these obligations timeously.

b) Issues for follow-up

The 5^th Parliament should consider the following concerns that arose:

· Oversight should commence on the actual implementation of the said agreements and how they impact on domestic priorities.

· Conferment among committees on treaties with cross-cutting elements, and referral of treaties to committees needs to be managed.

· Parliament should consider informing the Committee of when an international agreement has been approved by both Houses. Furthermore, it should request that the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation informs the Committee of when an instrument of ratification is deposited and when an agreement comes into force for South Africa.

9. Statutory appointments

Not applicable

10. Interventions

Not applicable

11. Petitions and Motions

The following petitions were referred to and considered by the Committee:

Title	Date referred	Current status
Petition: People against Suffering and Poverty (PASSOP)	Unsolicited petition on Zimbabwe handed over to Parliament on 1 March 2011 by PASSOP.	The 45 Zimbabweans detained were released thereafter; the Committee could not proceed with the requested intervention.
Motion: Free State Legislature	13 March 2013	The Committee held two dialogue sessions on the economic embargo against Cuba and considered the situation around the issue of the Cuban Five. The House has taken resolutions on the matter. Further to that, a solidarity conference was held where a declaration on the issues affecting Cuba was adopted. Communication has to be made to the Free State Legislature on the processes relating to their request for a motion on Cuba.

a) Challenges emerging

The following content-related challenges were experienced during the processing of petitions:

· PASSOP was picketing outside Parliament on 1 March 2011 and handed over the unsolicited petition. Their main aim was to call for intervention, by the South African government and Parliament, in any further action that the government of Zimbabwe would take against 45 people arrested in Harare for watching a video on popular uprisings in Egypt. A few days thereafter, through the intervention of SADC Facilitation Team and the South African government, the detainees were released. The challenge was the petition was handed over to the Presiding Officers as is the practice; however the petitioners were unaware of internal processes that the Committee would only become aware of it on referral.

There are no issues for follow up.

12. Obligations conferred on committee by legislation:

The Committee has been reporting on the BRRR processes since 2009/10 to 2012/2013. The Committee has made recommendations to the House for the Department to take certain action towards enhancing the conduct of foreign policy. The Committee subsequently followed up on its recommendations through oversight to the headquarters of the Department. It was not possible to do a follow up on the last report-2012/13.

· Technical/operational challenges

The time given for preparation of the BRRR process poses a challenge.

a) Issues for follow-up

Follow up oversight visit should be undertaken. Matters pertaining to the financial management of the African Renaissance Fund, as highlighted by the report of the Auditor General be dealt with.

13. Summary of outstanding issues relating to the department/entities that the committee has been grappling with

The following key issues are outstanding from the committee’s activities during the 4^th Parliament:

Responsibility	Issue(s)
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation	Finalisation of processes towards the establishment of the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA); the Foreign Service Bill; operationalisation of the South African Council of International Relations (SACOIR); implementation of the Coordination mechanism on foreign relation activities by South African agencies; completion of a public diplomacy strategy.
Portfolio Committee	Continue outreach programmes; oversight on legislative mandate; oversight on policy mandate of the Department; oversight on the implementation of international agreements; address the financial management issues with regard to the African Renaissance Fund. Examine how the African Renaissance Fund could also proactively fund projects elsewhere; this would enable it to have some form of a strategic plan which would allow room for emergency requests that would not necessarily be foreseen.
Parliament of South Africa	The Committee should request a review of the Parliamentary oversight model as it relates to the mandate of the Committee.