from ODIRILE TOTENG in Gaborone, Botswana
GABORONE, (CAJ News) – CELEBRATING its 40-year milestone, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has restated its commitment to peace, security and development.
This as the regional bloc rolls out its Vision 2050 and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030.
The SADC Summit approved the strategic documents in August this year.
Both blueprints aim for “a peaceful, an inclusive middle to high income industrialized region, where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice and freedom.”
The pillars of Industrial Development and Market Integration, Infrastructure Development in support of Regional Integration, Social and Human Capital Development anchor the blueprints.
“These remain our priorities, that are to also guide partnership with our International Cooperating Partners (ICPs),” said SADC Executive Secretary, Stergomena Lawrence, said.
She was addressing the recent SADC- ICP Dialogue Platform meeting, held virtually.
The meeting came as SADC celebrates its 40th anniversary, under the theme, “40 Years Building Peace and Security, and Promoting Development and Resilience in the Face of Global Challenges.”
Peace and security remain a pre-requisite of regional integration and a foundation, Stergomena stated.
“I am confident that the engagements and discussions of this meeting will be productive as always, as we herald a new dawn of the Vision 2050 and RISDP 2020-2030,” she concluded.
SADC member states are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
– CAJ News