Namibia to launch African Union – SADC National Committee
The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation will host the launch of the African Union (AU) – Southern African Development Community (SADC) National Committee on Wednesday, 27 January in Windhoek.
The launching ceremony will be followed by a Multi-Stakeholder Sensitization Workshop on the same day, the ministry announced Monday.
The AU-SADC National Committee was established by a decision of the Namibian cabinet of Namibia on 17 November 2020 in line with a decision of the AU, and the SADC Treaty of 1992. The National Committee would ensure and enhance the implementation of AU and SADC decisions and programmes at the national level, thereby deriving maximum benefits from Namibia’s membership of the AU and SADC respectively.
The AU-SADC National Committee is also mandated to oversee activities of the core areas of integration and monitoring and controlling the implementation of the AU Agenda 2063 and its 10-Year Implementation Plans, and the SADC Vision 2050 and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plans.
According to the ministry, the Multi-Stakeholder Sensitization workshop is expected to unpack the priority areas of the National Development Plan 5 and identify challenges and opportunities, and reflect on the SADC Strengthening the National-Regional Linkages (SNRL) Programme and the Joint AU programmes on regional integration.
The SNRL programme is a partnership between SADC and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with co-funding from the European Union (EU).
The launching ceremony will be attended by all line Ministers, and the workshop will bring together Executive Directors and/or Directors of different Government Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAs).
Meanwhile, representatives from the AU, the SADC Secretariat, and partners including Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UN Economic Commission for Africa, and the African Development Bank are also expected to be present.
