DAR ES SALAAM, 26 August -- Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting on the last day of the 23rd annual summit have approved a Mutual Defence Pact which provides the framework for further cooperation on politics, defence and security matters.

The landmark pact will operationlise the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation which was signed in Blantyre, Malawi, on 14 August 2001. The Mutual Defence Pact is supported by the Strategic Indicative Plan of the Organ, which was also approved by the leaders at the close of the two-day summit in the Tanzanian commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

The plan proposes specific strategies and activities for achieving the objectives as laid out in the defence protocol, including military intervention in defence of a fellow member state that may be under external aggression.

A Charter on Fundamental Social Rights was also signed by the SADC leaders. Among other issues, the charter seeks to consolidate a culture of tripartite dialogue involving government, economic industry and trade unionists. It also promotes the formulation and harmonization of legal, economic and social policies and programmes in member states.

Key provisions of the charter include freedom of association and collective bargaining, freedom of movement, equal treatment of women and men as well as improvement of working and living conditions of SADC citizens.

In line with SADC’s “Vision of a Shared Future” as outlined in the 1992 Treaty establishing the regional body, the leaders approved its 15-year blueprint for regional integration. The Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) has been under formulation since March 2001 when SADC approved restructuring of its institutions.

The RISDP spells out strategies and priority areas for intervention and targets for the region in the short, medium and long term. It is to be implemented in phases of three years with regular reviews aimed at assisting member states to achieve targets within agreed time frames.

In its final communiqué, the summit “noted with concern that member states were slow in ratifying or acceding to protocols”. By close of summit, 12 protocols had been ratified and ready for implementation. Eleven more are still to be ratified by a two-thirds majority of member states which is necessary for them to come into force.

The United Republic of Tanzania, which chairs SADC for the next 12 months, showed the way when prior to the summit a political decision was taken to ratify all SADC protocols.
“Where there is political will, all these agreements [SADC protocols] can be given life,” said Tanzanian President Benjamin William Mkapa, who becomes the new SADC chairperson.

The summit elected Sir Anerood Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius, as the vice chairperson of SADC. In line with SADC tradition, Mauritius automatically hosts the next summit.

Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili of Lesotho was elected chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. South African President Thabo Mbeki becomes the deputy chairperson while the immediate past chairperson, Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano completes the Troika. (SARDC)

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