Regional Disaster Risk Management ministers meet to review progress on operationalization of SADC activities
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Committee of Ministers Responsible for Disaster Risk Management will meet in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on 25 May to review progress on the operationalization of SADC activities aimed at strengthening the region’s preparedness to address risks and mitigating the impacts of disasters.
The ministers will also sign the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Agreement among the SADC member states for the establishment of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre. The meeting will receive reports on the implementation of disaster risk management programmes and the status of the accomplishment of the decisions of the SADC Summit of Heads of State and the SADC Council of Ministers.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Security of the DRC, HE Peter Kankolongo, will preside over the meeting in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Committee of SADC Ministers Responsible for Disaster Risk Management and will be supported by the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary responsible for Regional Integration, Ms Angèle N’tumba, who will be representing the Executive Secretary of SADC, HE Elias Magosi.
Furthermore, at the same meeting, the Ministers will discuss, among other issues, the development and operationalization of the regional disaster risk financing facility and the operationalization of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre, based in Mozambique, which is intended for coordinating humanitarian and emergency support to member states affected by disasters.
“The ministers will consider the draft SADC Disaster Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan 2022-2030 as well as the Regional Multi-Hazard Planning Framework 2022-2030 and SADC Regional Multi-Hazard Contingency Plan 2022-2023. [They] will further review the status of implementation of the activities of the Regional Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis Programme, including the development of the SADC (RVAA) Strategic Plan 2023-2030, coordination and management of the RVAA System,” according to the SADC Secretariat in Gaborones, Botswana.
As is customary, the meeting was preceded by the Meeting of SADC Senior Officials Responsible for Disaster Risk Management on 23 – 24 May.
In another unrelated development, in commemoration of Africa Day this year, the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO) paid homage to the often overlooked yet crucial profession of interpreters in Africa, to accelerate the implementation and advanced usage of the operational tools for commercially meaningful trade in AfCFTA.
This year marks 60 years of celebrating Africa Day. This comes as the African continent continues to celebrate “Africa Day” on 25 May, in recognition of the vision and milestones achieved on “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.” The African Union adopted the theme of the Year 2023 as the year for Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation” at the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
According to the Directorate of Information and Research in the MIRCO, the Theme of the Year and its mandate to support the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement will aim to be celebrated through close collaboration with all relevant organs and specialized agencies of the African Union, regional mechanisms and Regional Economic Communities, in line with their respective mandates to fast track the implementation of the AfCFTA for the benefit of Africa’s population.
“Although much work remains to achieve the aspiration of a prosperous Africa, concerning inclusive growth and sustainable development, the continent should look to enhance efforts through the established institutional mechanisms, systems, and programmes currently in place, which are aimed at fostering integration in the African continent,” it stated.
