What's New?

The South African Cyber Treaty Series has been amended to reflect the following activities:

Intellectual Property

• South Africa became a member of the Budapest Union in July 1997
• South Africa acceded to the Patent Cooperation Treaty on 16 March 1999


Human Rights

• South Africa accepted the Amendment to article 43(2) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 5 August 1997
• South Africa ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on 10 December 1998.
• South Africa ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination on 10 December 1998.
• South Africa acceded to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide on 10 December 1998.
• South Africa ratified the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on 10 December 1998.

Environmental Law

• South Africa signed the Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (1997), on 13 August 1997; and ratified on 26 October 1998.
• South Africa ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on 29 August 1997
• South Africa ratified the Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification particularly in Africa, 1994 on 29 August 1997

South Africa acceded to the Copenhagen Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer of 1992, on 13 March 2001

Disarmament

• South Africa signed the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction on 3 December 1997
• South Africa accepted amended Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices as amended on 3 May 1996 annexed to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects, on 26 June 1998
• South Africa accepted the Additional Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV) to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects, on 26 June 1998
• South Africa ratified the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction on 26 June 1996
• South Africa ratified the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty) on 27 March 1998
• The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction entered into force on 1 March 1999.
• South Africa ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty on 30 March 1999

Law of the Sea

• South Africa ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 on 23 December 1997
• South Africa ratified the Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, 1984 on 23 December 1997

Labour

• South Africa ratified the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 on 5 March 1997
• South Africa ratified the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 on 5 March 1997
• South Africa ratified the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 on 5 March 1997
• South Africa ratified the Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 on 9 June 2000
• South Africa ratified the Convention concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, 1999 on 7 June 2000
• South Africa ratified the Convention concerning equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value, 1951 on 30 March 2000
• South Africa ratified the Convention concerning minimum age for admission to employment, 1973 on 30 March 2000
  

Miscellaneous Penal

• South Africa signed the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court on 18 July 1998.
• South Africa ratified the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court on 27 November 2000.
  

 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

• South Africa acceded to the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances on 14 December 1998.

  International Terrorism

• South Africa signed the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings on 21 December 1999
• South Africa signed the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism on 10 November 2001
• South Africa acceded to the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection on 1 December 1999

Navigation and Maritime

• South Africa accepted the 1993 amendments to articles 16, 17 and 19(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization on 21 October 1999
  

  Civil Aviation

• South Africa signed the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, on 28 May 1999

Transport and communications

• South Africa signed the Agreement concerning the Establishing of Global Technical Regulations for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or be used on Wheeled Vehicles, 1998 on 14 June 2000
• South Africa ratified the Agreement concerning the Establishing of Global Technical Regulations for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or be used on Wheeled Vehicles on 18 April 2001
• South Africa acceded to the Agreement concerning the Adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or used on Wheeled Vehicles and the Conditions for Reciprocal Recognition of Approvals Granted on the Basis of These Prescriptions on 18 April 2001

  International Trade and Development

• South Africa acceded to the Constitution of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, 1979 on 24 October 2000.

  Educational and Cultural Matters

• South Africa ratified the Convention against Discrimination in Education on 9 March 2000
• South Africa ratifies the Protocol instituting a Conciliation and Good Offices Commission to be responsible for seeking the settlement of any disputes which may arise between States Parties to the Convention against Discrimination in Education on 9 March 2000

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