Times Of Swaziland: VOLUNTARY RATIFICATION;A GOOD THING TO DO

VOLUNTARY RATIFICATION;A GOOD THING TO DO
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By Jan Sithole on 04/02/2018 00:02:00


Globally, Swaziland has a good if not one of the best ratification record. And
this is a good thing to do and a very noble gesture particularly because
ratification is voluntary and not compulsory.
This has earned us a good record as a country internationally. The only
difference is that after the ratification and domestication process has been
completed, compliance is not optional.
This week, I have decided to bring to the fore brilliant international
inter-linkages and networks which were made and acted upon by the leadership
since independence which have had positive spinoffs to the growth and
sustainability of the country in the past.
These brilliant decisions which were made include clinical ratification and
domestication of relevant international treaties, conventions, agreements and
portfolios such as the following:
* Universal Charter for Human Rights of the United Nations in 1968 (United
Nations)
* The Harare Declaration of the Commonwealth in 1990 (Commonwealth)
* The African Charter for Human and Peoples’ rights in 1995 (AU)
* The SADC Declarations and Protocols (SADC)
* The Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
* COMESA
* The ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement
* The SADC - EPA
* The International Labour Organisations conventions (ILO)
* The  African Growth and Opportunities Act in 2000 (AGOA)
* The Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland which fully embraces all the
tenets of universal human rights, economic rights and social rights for the
people of Swaziland and all who live in it.
It is even encouraging that in our supreme document - Constitution in  Section
236 the country acknowledges and commits to compliance to international treaties
to which we are party to as a country.
Mauritius did, it why can’t we do it? Over time I have said Swaziland has a
full potential of becoming a beacon of economic boom and a haven for economic
growth, it can become the Switzerland of the south because when God designed
Swaziland, he eliminated most challenges that negatively affect other countries.