Section 327: International conventions, treaties and agreements

(1) In this section—

“international organisation” means an organisation whose membership consists of two or

more independent States or in which two or more independent States are represented;

“international treaty” means a convention, treaty, protocol or agreement between one or

more foreign States or governments or international organisations.

(2) An international treaty which has been concluded or executed by the President or under the President’s authority—

    (a) does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament; and

    (b) does not form part of the law of Zimbabwe unless it has been incorporated into the law

through an Act of Parliament.

(3) Save for loan agreements and guarantees referred to in section 300(3) and (4) an agreement which is not an international treaty but which—

    (a) has been concluded or executed by the President or under the President’s authority

with one or more foreign organisations or entities and imposes fiscal obligations on

Zimbabwe; and

    (b) imposes fiscal obligations on Zimbabwe; does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament.

[Subsection substituted by s. 21 of Act No. 2 of 2021]

(4) An Act of Parliament may provide that subsections (2) and (3)—

    (a) do not apply to any particular international treaty or agreement or to any class of such

treaties or agreements; or

    (b) apply with modifications in relation to any particular international treaty or agreement

or to any class of such treaties or agreements.

(5) Parliament may by resolution declare that any particular international treaty or class of international treaties does not require approval under subsection (2), but such a resolution does not apply to treaties whose application or operation requires—

    (a) the withdrawal or appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund; or

    (b) any modification of the law of Zimbabwe.

(6) When interpreting legislation, every court and tribunal must adopt any reasonable interpretation of the legislation that is consistent with any international convention, treaty or agreement which is binding on Zimbabwe, in preference to an alternative interpretation inconsistent with that convention, treaty or agreement.