SADC to hold 41st SADC Summit in Malawi
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold the 41st Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and government in Lilongwe, Malawi on 17 to 18 August 2021 with a limited number so as to observe COVID-19 protocols.
The summit will be preceded by a Council of Ministers meeting that will be held in hybrid format whereby limited number of delegates will attend physically, while others will attend through virtual platforms.
The Summit will be held under the theme “Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable, Economic and Industrial Transformation”. The Theme seeks to accelerate the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030, in particular, the Industrialisation and Market Integration pillar.
During the 41st Summit, H.E Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Malawi will take over the chairpersonship of SADC from H.E Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique who assumed the chairpersonship of SADC on 17 August, 2020 during the 40th SADC Summit.
The Summit will take stock of progress made in promoting and deepening Regional Integration in line with SADC’s aspirations as espoused in the RISDP 2020–2030 and Vision 2050, which envisage a peaceful, inclusive, competitive, middle- to high-income industrialised Region where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice, and freedom.
Among the key highlights of the 41st SADC Summit, the Executive Secretary of SADC Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax will bid farewell to the SADC Heads of State and Government after serving for 8 years and a new SADC Executive Secretary will be sworn in.
Coincidentally, Dr Tax was sworn in as the SADC Executive Secretary at the 33rd SADC Summit which Malawi last hosted in Lilongwe in August, 2013.
The 41st SADC Summit will be preceded by the following meetings and events: 12 August, 2021: SADC Public Lecture under the theme: Promoting Digitalisation for Revival of SADC Industrialisation Agenda in the COVID era; 9-11 August, 2021: Meeting of Standing Committee of Senior Officials and Finance Committee Meetings; 13-14 August, 2021: Meeting of SADC Council of Ministers and 16 August, 2021: SADC Organ Troika Summit.
