Chapter 3: INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ON ARTISTIC EXPRESSION 3.1 Zimbabwe ratification practice65 This part is confined to the ratification procedure or practice at work in Zimbabwe. Previous research has shown that Zimbabwe does not have a system in place. In terms of ratification and domestication of international instruments the practice is ad hoc. It is understood that the relevant Minister in whose portfolio a particular international treaty, protocol or bilateral agreement in question falls takes the whole initiative to engage in treaty negotiations. Once the treaty is finally adopted, s/he then submits the agreement or treaty to the Public Agreements Committee before signing it. The Public Agreements Committee goes through the treaty and then prepares a report for Cabinet to consider. While deliberations before Cabinet are classified, what eventually becomes clear is that once cabinet approval is secured, the relevant Minister approaches Parliament. The relevant Portfolio and Thematic Committees are engaged in Parliament, whose role is to make necessary consultations in order to fully ventilate the benefits and inherent repercussions of ratifying or acceding to the treaty in question. These committees are critical in guiding the legislators to debate the issues from a fairly informed perspective taking into account that treaties are inherently technical by nature. Once Parliamentary approval is secured, the Minister who sponsored the motion then approaches the Department of Legislative Drafting of the Attorney General’s Office for preparation of the instruments of ratification/accession. This is the documentation signed by the President which the Zimbabwe delegation takes to or sends to the treaty ratification repository identified in that treaty as proof that Zimbabwe has ratified the treaty in question. Notwithstanding the fact that the line Ministry would have sponsored the ratification/accession process, the competence to deposit the instruments is This insight was drawn from previous work conducted by the author while undertaking research on behalf of government. Accordingly, the identity of the source is treated in confidence as same has not yet been published. 65 53 | P a g e