How to evaluate whether the SADC Free Trade Area is making solid progress? Which Member States are on track offering largely tariff-free access to the other SADC Member States? How far from achieving lower non-tariff barriers to trade within the region? In order to find answers to these questions and assist Member States in the implementation of commitments under the Protocol on Trade, SADC needs to take stock of the status quo and check progress on a regular basis.

Acknowledging this, SADC Ministers of Trade approved a comprehensive Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation (MRE) System on July 17^th 2014. The decision had been preceded by two years of intensive preparations at the SADC Secretariat. SADC is furthermore establishing an Enforcement Mechanism to ensure the implementation of all SADC MRE systems.

The Trade Protocol Monitoring System is critical to highlight major issues regarding the implementation of trade commitments – or lack thereof. Member States will submit annual progress reports on a holistic set of indicators directly derived from the Protocol on Trade. The SADC Secretariat and Member States will administer the MRE System jointly to ensure its sustainability, with both a validation mechanism and impact assessment being integral parts.

By strengthening the results-oriented monitoring function and capacity in Member States, SADC Structures and the SADC Secretariat, organisational learning and accountability policies can be improved, in line with SADC’s Policy for Strategy Development, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (download below). However, the MRE system’s success hinges on Member States’ buy-in and their commitment to devote resources to its institutionalisation. Ultimately, the impacts of the SADC Protocol on Trade MRE system not only depend on its implementation, but on how its results feed into decision making processes at national and regional level.