Peace and Stability remain top on SADC Agenda: SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ, 20th July 2017

The Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation (MCO) met on 20th and 21st July 2017 in Dar es Salaam.  Speaking during the meeting, Hon Dr. Mahinga hailed the peace, security and political stability that the region continues to enjoy and the commendable milestones that the region has recorded in the political sphere including the work by the SADC Oversight Committee on the Kingdom of Lesotho aimed at facilitating the realization of lasting peace and political stability in the Kingdom of Lesotho, the development of mechanism to honour the Founding Fathers of SADC, and the preparedness for the construction of a Statue of His Excellency, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the former President of the United Republic of Tanzania at the African Union Commission.

During the meeting the SADC Executive Secretary, Her Excellency Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax underscored that, peace, security and stability remain essential catalysts for regional economic integration and development, and as such are on top of the SADC Agenda. She noted that although the Region remained peaceful and stable, it cannot afford to be complacent, as sustainable peace, security and political stability require continued efforts and vigilance.

The meeting was officially opened by the Honourable Dr. Augustine Mahiga, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania and Chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation.The MCO meeting is a statutory meeting held annually to consider the status of the implementation of SADC decisions and programmes of the Organ.

The meeting among others, reviewed progress on the Political and Security Situation in the Region; the development of the SADC Regional Counterterrorism Regional Counter Terrorism Strategy and Action Plan; the Public Security Sector, the Protocol on the Implementation of the Free Movement of People in the SADC Region, and progress on the African Union Institutional Reforms. The meeting was attended by 14 SADC Member States.