Speaker and hon members, the 1969 Convention on the Law of Treaties regulates various aspects of treaties, including conclusion, interpretation and termination. The convention is regarded by many states, including our country, as forming part of customary international law, that is, its provisions are also binding on states that have not ratified the convention.
Section 232 of the Constitution of our country provides that:
Customary international law is law in the Republic unless it is inconsistent with the Constitution or an Act of Parliament.
The Vienna Convention, to the extent that it is part of customary international law, is therefore law in South Africa, and South African treaty practice conforms to its provisions. It is thus unnecessary to accede to the Vienna Convention. It has been acceded to by about 45 countries in the world, but it applies across the board to all countries that are signatories and those that are not. Thank you.