The Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National
Council of Provinces, as co-chairpersons of the Joint Rules Committee (JRC),
present the Second Report of the Joint Rules Committee, dated 29 October 2009,
as follows:
The Joint Rules Committee met on 14 October 2009 to consider the Draft
Report of the Parliamentary Group on International Relations (PGIR), including
proposed rules for the establishment of the group.
(A)
CONSIDERATION OF
NEW RULES
The JRC recommends that the following new Joint Rules 128 to 136 be
adopted:
Part 12: Parliamentary
Group on International Relations (PGIR)
There is a Parliamentary Group on International Relations (PGIR).
The Parliamentary Group on International Relations consists of the
number of Assembly and Council members that the Joint Rules Committee may
determine.
A House Chairperson designated by the Speaker of the Assembly and a
House Chairperson designated by the Chairperson of the Council are
co-chairpersons of the group.
The Parliamentary Group on International Relations must implement the
international relations policy agreed by the Joint Rules Committee by, inter alia, –
(1)
providing policy and strategic direction on
Parliament’s international engagements, including its relations with other
Parliaments and international parliamentary organisations;
(2)
coordinating Parliament’s international
engagements, including its relations with other Parliaments and membership of,
and participation in, international parliamentary organisations;
(3)
receiving reports from parliamentary delegations
and submitting proposals on their tabling, referral and scheduling for debate
to the presiding officers or relevant parliamentary structures;
(4)
meeting annually with members appointed by the
Houses to serve in international parliamentary bodies and members of all
substructures of the group, as well as the chairpersons of the parliamentary
committees dealing with international relations and cooperation and trade and
industry to determine strategy and evaluate the international relations of
Parliament.
The Parliamentary Group on International Relations -
(1)
must report regularly on its activities to the Joint
Rules Committee; and
(2)
may submit, in accordance with its mandate,
substantive reports and proposals to relevant parliamentary forums.
The Parliamentary Group on International Relations may, with the
concurrence of the Joint Rules Committee and according to agreed guidelines,
establish -
(1)
multiparty, programme-driven focus groups
consisting of core members of delegations to international parliamentary
organisations to pursue and lend continuity to Parliament’s multilateral
relations;
(2)
friendship groups informally to pursue nonstrategic
bilateral relations; and
(3)
any substructures that may be required to assist
with the implementation of international relations policy.
(1)
A majority of the members
of the group constitutes a quorum.
(2)
The group may proceed
with business irrespective of the number of members present, but may decide a
question only if a quorum is present.
(3)
When the group has to
decide a question and a quorum is not present, the member presiding may either
suspend business until a quorum is present, or adjourn the meeting.
A question before the group is decided when there is agreement among the
majority of the members present.
(B)
OTHER PGIR MATTERS PRESENTED
(1) Establishment of focus groups
The JRC, in accordance with the proposed new
rules, concurred that focus groups will be set up as substructures of the PGIR to
represent the following multilateral bodies to which Parliament is affiliated:
Focus Group on the
Inter-Parliamentary
Focus Group on SADC-PF: This group will
comprise 5 core members and 6 additional members.
Focus Group on the Pan‑African Parliament: This group will comprise
5 core members and 6 additional members.
Focus Group on Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association (CPA): This group will
comprise the Branch Executive of the CPA (5 core members) as well as 6
additional members.
Focus Group on the African
Caribbean Pacific‑European
Focus Group on Association
of Senates, Shoora and Equivalent Councils in
Focus Group on
Focus Group on IBSA (
The size of a focus group is determined by
the multilateral body it represents and whether the delegates are appointed by
the House for the duration of the parliamentary term or on an ad hoc basis for
each activity of that multilateral body.
The purpose of a focus group is as follows:
a)
The group will analyse the work of the particular
body it represents and guide Parliament’s engagement with that body.
b)
The group will assess and evaluate reports of
delegations to meetings of the body and identify matters which require further
follow up by Parliament.
c)
The group will embark on information‑sharing
initiatives for members on the work of the affiliated multilateral body.
The focus groups will report on their work
in the PGIR’s annual extended meeting. Each focus group will meet at least four
times a year in accordance with the programme of work of its corresponding multilateral
body. Each focus group will be led by a convenor and a deputy convenor.
(2) Establishment
of friendship groups and strategic bilateral relations
The JRC further agreed that friendship
groups will be utilised to pursue nonstrategic bilateral relations based on
geographical regions. Friendship groups will pursue such relations in a
purposeful and focused manner in support of
The JRC noted
that friendship groups and the pursuit of strategic bilateral relations will be
given further consideration by the PGIR and a report on the matter will be
submitted to the next meeting of the JRC.
(3) Members representing Parliament
The JRC also agreed that when a member receives
an invitation in his or her personal capacity to represent Parliament, the
member must have the approval of the Presiding Officers for such participation
if parliamentary funds are to be used. Funding for such participation will not necessarily
come from the parliamentary budget.
Report to be considered.