Malawi concludes SADC Chairmanship on high note

Malawi: Malawi gains confidence from the accomplishments of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as it prepares to hand over the Chairmanship to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), write Priscilla Phiri and Monica Tambala, MANA.

During the handover of the SADC Chairmanship from Mozambique to Malawi, Mozambique's President, Filipe Nyusi, stated that one of the tasks that the region needed to complete in order to achieve meaningful development was to maintain peace and security in the region.

In his acceptance speech, President Dr Lazarus Chakwera pledged to work together to ensure that the SADC bloc achieves its missions and goals.

Under the current chairmanship, SADC has mitigated terrorist acts in Mozambique by implementing the SADC Peace Building Support Programme, which has spearheaded the provision of humanitarian aid as well as enhanced the capacity of Police and Collection Services, as well as skill development programs for youth and women.

Malawi, along with other SADC member states, was commended for demonstrating a spirit of solidarity by delivering food donations in support of humanitarian aid to the affected population as part of the Early Response Mechanism Project (ERM).

Malawi's government set an example as a SADC chairing country by implementing gender-related programs using various tools developed by the regional body.

Malawi's Minister of Gender and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati, stated during a joint meeting of SADC Ministers of Gender that Malawi has programs to empower women and girls in the context of COVID-19 and climate change, noting that females are the most affected by the two scenarios.

She stated that some of these programs and existing instruments, such as the SADC protocol on gender and development, are being implemented.

Agnes Nkusa Nkhoma, Deputy Minister of Gender, recently emphasized the importance of women's contributions to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience efforts in order to achieve gender equality, empower all women and girls and have sustainable disaster risk reduction policies and programs.

However, the region still needs to step up efforts to accelerate intra-regional trade by addressing challenges that stymie the SADC region's quest for increased trade.

Minister of Trade Mark Katsonga Phiri urged member states to address issues such as low supply capacity, poor logistics for the movement of goods and services, poor infrastructure, and non-harmonization and cooperative mechanisms for cross-border infrastructure at the 33rd Committee of Ministers of Trade, which will be held in Malawi on July 8, 2022.

He also mentioned the poor implementation of trade commitments and the imposition of non-tariff barriers, such as stringent rules of origin.

Phiri urged member states to prioritize ratification of legal instruments, which serve as a framework for cooperation and enablers of the regional agenda.