Login

Register




Building capacity to help Africa trade better

SADC Senior Officials meet ahead of 40th Ordinary Summit and Council of Ministers meeting

News

SADC Senior Officials meet ahead of 40th Ordinary Summit and Council of Ministers meeting

SADC Senior Officials meet ahead of 40th Ordinary Summit and Council of Ministers meeting
Photo credit: SADC Secretariat

The preceding meetings of the 40th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government and Council of Ministers meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) started on 10th August, 2020, with a virtual meeting of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials, a technical advisory committee which reviews and clears documents for the SADC Council of Ministers.

During the opening session of the meeting, Ambassador Brigadier General Wilbert Augustin Ibuge, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania handed over the Chairpersonship of the SADC Committee of Senior Officials to Ambassador Alfredo Fabião Nuvunga, Director for Regional and Continental Integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Mozambique.

Ambassador Brigadier General Ibuge thanked the SADC Senior Officials for the support rendered to him during his tenure as Chairperson and for collectively addressing regional issues in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

In his remarks after assuming the chairpersonship of the Committee, Ambassador Nuvunga expressed appreciation and gratitude to the outgoing Chairperson and the United Republic of Tanzania for the invaluable contribution to the socio-economic development and regional integration agenda in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the 40th SADC Summit theme, "SADC: 40 Years Building Peace and Security, Promoting Development and Resilience in the Face of Global Challenges" is intended to reflect on the SADC achievements whilst taking collective measures to consolidate peace and security and identify appropriate solutions to the challenges facing the region.

On 13th August 2020, Hon. Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Mozambique will take over the Chairpersonship of the SADC Council of Ministers from Hon. Prof. Palamagamba John Kabudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania.

During the meeting, the SADC Council of Ministers will discuss strategic policy and programmatic issues aimed at strengthening regional, development, cooperation and integration. Among the key issues, the Ministers will discuss measures to mitigate the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, following the preliminary analysis conducted by the SADC Secretariat on the impact of COVID-19 and its implications on the SADC region.

On the 39th SADC Summit theme, the Ministers will take stock of the progress made on the prioritised activities and challenges in the implementation of the theme adopted in August 2019, “A Conducive Environment for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, Increased Intra-Regional Trade and Job Creation”.

The Ministers will also discuss the SADC Post-2020 Agenda, which includes the formulation of SADC Vision 2050 and the revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030. Once approved by the 40th SADC Summit, the two strategic documents will lay the foundation and set a strategic direction for the SADC region to implement its programmes and activities.

During the Ministers meeting, the SADC Executive Secretary will present a report highlighting, among others, regional political and economic developments; implementation of programmes of regional cooperation and integration; peace and security cooperation and implementation of corporate activities since the last Summit in August 2019.

His Excellency President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of the Republic of Mozambique will assume the Chairpersonship of SADC on 17th August 2020 during the Opening Session of the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, taking over from His Excellency Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania who has served as SADC Chairperson since August, 2019.

This year’s SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government is being held when SADC is commemorating its 40th Anniversary since its establishment as the Southern African Development Conference (SADCC) on 1 April 1980 before it was later, in August 1992, transformed into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) through the signing of the Declaration and Treaty.

The 40th SADC Summit Theme takes forward the implementation of the pdf SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2.34 MB) by recognising the primacy of peace security and governance as a foundation which ensures the preconditions needed to achieve the other priorities of SADC regional integration.

According to Article 11 of the SADC Treaty, the Council of Ministers is responsible for, among others, overseeing the functioning and development of SADC, approving policies, strategies and programmes of SADC as well as advising the Summit of Heads of State and Government on matters of overall policy. The Council consists of Ministers from each of the 16 Member States; usually from the Ministries responsible for Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Economic Planning or Finance.


Follow the proceedings of the Opening and Closing Ceremony of the 40th SADC Summit which will be broadcast live by Televisão de Moçambique (TVM), Channel 701 on DSTV from 10.am to 11.10am CAT and from 12.30 to 13.30pm respectively on 17th August, 2020. The ceremony will also be streamed live on the TVM Facebook and YouTube Channel.

Contact

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel +27 21 880 2010