Status on whether the department is informed beforehand of twinning of cities agreements

QOUTE

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR ORAL REPLY

QUESTION NO: 144

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO: 19 OF 06 OCTOBER 2009

DR G W KOORNHOF (ANC) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION:

(1)    Whether her department is informed beforehand of twinning of cities agreements and memoranda of understanding that are signed between South African metros and municipalities and their counterparts overseas; if not, why not; if so, (a) what measures are in place to ensure that the implications of these agreements are monitored and (b) what are the further relevant details; 

(2)     what measures are in place to ensure coherence between the national and provincial tiers of government in relation to (a) trade, (b) investment, (c) economic agreements and (d) related activities with other countries?    
       
REPLY TO THE ANC:

 [1]    Whether her department is informed beforehand of twinning of cities agreements and memoranda of understanding that are signed between South African metros and municipalities and their counterparts overseas; if not, why not; if so, (a) what measures are in place to ensure that the implications of these agreements are monitored and (b) what are the further relevant details;

A:   Yes, DIRCO is informed consistent with its responsibility for scrutinising international agreements for consistency with international law and with South Africa’s other international obligations.  The Department is informed by a municipality or province that it wishes to enter into a twinning agreement with a foreign city and forwards a draft arrangement to the Department’s Legal advisors who scrutinise the agreement/arrangement to ensure that it does not create any binding obligations on behalf of national government.

[2] What measures are in place to ensure coherence between the national and provincial tiers of government in relation to (a) trade, (b) investment, (c) economic agreements and (d) related activities with other countries?     
      
A:   The Consultative Forum on International Relations tasked DIRCO to create a database of all twinning agreements concluded by municipalities and provinces. Municipalities and provinces are contacted directly and the database is regularly updated whenever information is received. Regarding the matter of whether obligations undertaken by a municipality or province with regard to trade, investment or economic agreements or related activities are monitored, the Department does not perform this function. 

          
UNQOUTE