SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ to Hold Virtual Meeting to Consider Issues of Regional Peace and Security

The 22nd virtual meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation will be held on 26 June, 2020 to consider issues of regional peace, stability and security.

Ahead of the Ministers meeting, the SADC Senior Officials held their meeting on 25 June, 2020 to clear documents and consider issues for deliberation by the Ministerial Committee of the Organ.

Speaking at the opening of the Senior Officials meeting on 25June, 2020, H.E. Ambassador James Manzou, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Committee of Senior Officials for the Ministerial Committee of the Organ, called on the Senior Officials to deliberate and present programmatic, measurable and time bound decisions to the SADC Ministers with the view to strengthen peace and security in the SADC region.

Among the key issues, the Ministers will consider the implementation of decisions of the 21st meeting of MCO and decisions of the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government. The MCO will also examine new and emerging security threats to regional peace and security; consider measures for the consolidation of democracy in the region; and review the overall political and security situation in the SADC region.

The SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ is a structure of the Organ of SADC, established under Article 10A of the SADC Treaty and Article 3 of the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation with the responsibility to coordinate the work of the Organ and its structures in promoting peace and security in the region. The MCO comprises Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Public Security and State Security from SADC Member States.