Southern African Development Community (SADC)
The Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC), established on April 1, 1980 gave birth to the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Actually, the SADCC was transformed into the SADC on August 17, 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia where the SADC Treaty was adopted and SADC established as a cooperative umbrella among Member States – from a loose SADCC association into a legally binding SADC arrangement. The main objectives of SADC according to Article 5 of the SADC 1992 Treaty are: (a) to achieve development, peace and security, and economic growth, (b) to alleviate poverty and enhance the standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa, and (c) to support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration, built on democratic principles and equitable and sustainable development, (d) develop and advance common political values, systems and institutions, (e) to promote self-sustaining development on the basis of collective self-reliance, and the inter-dependence of Member States, (f) to promote and achieve complimentary relationship between national and regional strategies and programs, (g) to promote and achieve environmental protection and effective sustainability and utilization of natural resources, (h) maximization and promotion of gainful employment and utilization of resources of the region, and (i) consolidate and strengthen ancient links, historical, social, and cultural affinities among the people of the region. The member states of SADC are: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Southern African Development Community :: Member States (sadc.int)
According to SADC website, Article 5 of the Treaty (as amended, 2009), as well as in the Review of Operations of SADC Institutions and consists of the policies and strategies of the organization. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Common Agenda refers to a set of key principles and values that guide the Regional Integration agenda and are as follows: Southern African Development Community :: SADC Common Agenda
SADC Policies
- Promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development that will ensure poverty alleviation with the ultimate objective of its eradication, enhance the standard and quality of life of the people of Southern Africa and support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration;
- Promote common political values, systems and other shared values which are transmitted through institutions that are democratic, legitimate, and effective;
- Consolidate, defend and maintain democracy, peace, security and stability;
- Promote self-sustaining development on the basis of collective self-reliance, and the interdependence of Member States;
- Achieve complementarity between national and regional strategies and programs;
- Promote and maximize productive employment and utilization of the resources of the Region;
- Achieve sustainable utilization of natural resources and effective protection of the environment;
- Strengthen and consolidate the long-standing historical, social and cultural affinities and links among the people of the Region;
- Combat HIV and AIDS and other deadly or communicable diseases;
- Ensure that poverty eradication is addressed in all SADC activities and programs; and
- Mainstream gender in the process of community building.
SADC Strategies
- Harmonize political and socio-economic policies and plans of Member States;
- Encourage the peoples of the Region and their institutions to take initiatives to develop economic, social and cultural ties across the region, and to participate fully in the implementation of the programs and projects of SADC;
- Create appropriate institutions and mechanisms for the mobilization of requisite resources for the implementation of programs and operations of SADC and its institutions;
- Develop policies aimed at the progressive elimination of obstacles to the free movement of capital and labor, goods and services, and of the peoples of the region generally, among Member States;
- Promote the development, transfer and mastery of technology;
- Improve economic management and performance through regional cooperation;
- Promote the coordination and harmonization of the international relations of Member States; and
Secure international understanding, cooperation and support, and mobilize the inflow of public and private resources into the region.