The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) says it will provide diplomatic immunity to all attendees of the two meetings involving BRICS.
This comes after the department issued a notice in the government gazette on Monday in terms of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act for the upcoming BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Cape Town in June and BRICS Summit to be held in August.
“This is a standard conferment of immunities that we do for all international conferences and summits held in South Africa irrespective of the level of participation.
“The immunities are for the conference and not for specific individuals. They are meant to protect the conference and its attendees from the jurisdiction of the host country for the duration of the conference,” DIRCO explained.
The department further clarified that these immunities do not override any warranty that may have been issued by any international tribunal against any attendee of the conference.
Minister Naledi Pandor will host the Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs & International Relations on 01 June 2023 in Cape Town. The mid-term meeting, according to DIRCO, is an opportunity for BRICS Foreign Ministers to reflect on regional and global developments.
“Pandor, as Chair of the BRICS Ministerial Meeting, will continue with the policy of inclusive engagement by inviting 15 Foreign Ministers from Africa and the global south to a ‘Friends of BRICS’ meeting to be held on 02 June 2023,” the department said.
