SADC and its International Cooperating Partners (ICPs) convened a SADC/ICP Dialogue Platform Meeting on 11th September, 2015 in Gaborone, Botswana. The meeting was co-chaired by the Executive Secretary H.E. Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax representing SADC, and the Head of the European Union Delegation to Botswana and to SADC, Ambassador Alexander Baum representing the ICPs.

The objective of the meeting was to engage on how to cooperate in implementing the SADC priorities for Regional Integration outlined in the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020, and supported by the SADC industrialization Strategy and Road Map 2015-2063, SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Plan, and SADC Regional Agricultural Policy.

SADC presented to its Partners, the sequenced priority milestones to be achieved during the period 2015-2020 and the estimated indicative public coordination costs for the SADC Secretariat and for the Member States. The indicative public coordination costs of the SADC Secretariat are estimated to be over US$364.5 million, while the indicative available resources from both the SADC Member States and the ICPs are estimated at US$206.7 million leaving an indicative funding gap of USD109.1 million. A significant part of this gap falls under the priority area of infrastructure development.

The meeting agreed on the importance of aligning the support from ICPs with SADC approved priorities, and noted the need to simplify, harmonize and mainstream ICPs support in line with SADC planing, monitoring, and financial systems and procedures. The importance of aligning ICPs support towards SADC approved priorities, in particular the identified financing gaps in priority areas A and B, namely industrialization and Market Integration; and Infrastructure Development was emphasized. It was also noted that the indicative public coordination costs for the Member States are currently estimated at US$ 330.4 million, and SADC is seriously exploring alternative financing mechanism with a view of financing SADC priorities adequately and sustainably.

The SADC/ICP Dialogue Platform Meeting was attended by the Representatives of the International Cooperating Partners, the SADC Double Troika Member States (Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe), and representatives of the SADC Ambassadors in Gaborone. The SADC Double Troika Member States and the SADC Secretariat convened on Thursday 10th September in preparation for the meeting with ICPs.