The Southern African Development Community (SADC) ended its two-day summit in

Lusaka on Friday with leaders of the 14 member countries reaffirming their commitment to the consolidation of democracy and political stability in the region.

 

According to a communique issued at a post-summit press conference, the summit noted the peaceful and orderly manner in which the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar and Zambia exercised their democratic rights as they voted in the presidential and parliamentary elections in their respective countries.

 

The summit took note of the Report of the Executive Secretary on the economic situation in Zimbabwe and mandated the SADC ministers responsible for finance to use the Report of the Executive Secretary in consultations with the government of Zimbabwe and draw up an economic plan to support the country.

 

The summit launched the SADC Brigade consisting of, military, police and civilian components from all SADC member states which was set up under the provisions of the African Union which recommends that each of its Five Regional Economic Communities (RECs) should have a standby capacity for peace support operations on the continent.

 

As to gender equality, the summit noted that progress has been made towards achieving the set target of 50 percent women representation in decision-making and towards the protocol on gender and development.

 

Levy Mwanawasa, Zambian president and new chairperson of SADC, said that leaders of the member states had deliberated on matters what are critical to the realization of the vision for deepening integration, peace and security, as well as strategies on addressing the objective of poverty reduction in our region. The summit also announced that there is a basis to declare the SADC Free Trade Area in 2008.

 

"We need to re-double our efforts to unlock opportunities for the SADC liberalized trade, in the context of the Free Trade Area, Customs Union and ultimately the Common Market," said Mwanawasa.

 

Leaders of the 14 member countries held closed-door sessions on Thursday and Friday, deliberating on a number of regional development issues with several draft agreements approved. The summit agreed to amend the SADC Treaty, the protocol on tribunal and the protocol on trade and signed a memorandum of understanding amongst SADC member states on SADC headquarters and the establishment of the SADC standby brigade.

 

"The summit has been held in the spirit of brotherhood, sisterhood and dedication, which have characterized this region for many years," he said in his closing address.

 

The SADC is a major regional body in Africa with a total population of over 230 million that accounts for almost one third of the African continent.

 

Its members are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Next year's summit will be held in South Africa.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2007)