The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on 5th March, 2018 convened the fifth Meeting of the Committee of Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to Botswana and SADC at the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana.
The purpose of the meeting was for Ambassadors and High Commissioners was to get a briefing on the Agenda of the SADC Council of Ministers meeting which is scheduled to take place on 22-27 March, 2018 at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.
The meeting was chaired by the High Commissioner of South Africa to Botswana,H.E. Ms Rosemary Mashaba and was attended by the Ambassadors/High Commissioners from the following Member States; Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The SADC Deputy Executive Secretary-Corporate Affairs Ms. Emilie Mushobekwa welcomed the Ambassadors and High Commissioners to the SADC Secretariat and called on them to continue providing the necessary advice to SADC National Committees on issues related to implementation of SADC programmes and activities.
Ms. Mushobekwa said the Committee plays an important role on matters related to the implementation of the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the Revised Strategic Plan for the Organ (SIPO).
Her Excellency Mashaba said due to their proximity to the SADC Secretariat, the Ambassadors and High Commissioners can play an effective advisory role to the SADC national committees on different issues of regional integration.
The Chairperson stressed the importance of implementing the decisions made by the Committee at its fourth Meeting in February 2017 where members agreed to meet twice a year with “developments in the SADC Region” as a standing agenda item.
During the meeting the Ambassadors and High Commissioners noted the issues for discussion by the Council of Ministers. The issues include receiving progress reports on the African Union (AU) Institutional Reforms; the SADC Regional Resource Mobilisation Framework; the Operationalisation of the SADC University of Transformation; the Implementation of the Resolutions of the Ministerial Retreat held in 2016; the SADC Permanent Mission at International Civil Aviation Organization and Application for Subsidiarity Status of the SADC Groundwater Management Institute.
In line with the theme of the 2017 SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government; partnering with the Private Sector in Developing Industry and Regional Value Chains’, the Ambassadors and High Commissioners noted that the Council of Ministers meeting will receive a report on the status of Implementation of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063.
On Energy and Water Infrastructure Development in the SADC, the Ambassadors and High Commissioners noted that the meeting of the Council of Ministers will receive and consider reports on the status of Energy and Water Security and the Status of Energy and Water Infrastructure Projects in the SADC Region.
