Malawi has said that it will work tirelessly in making sure that it helps in making sure that the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) Vision 2050 goals since, collectively, the goals are beneficial to all member states.
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Luckie Sikwese, who on Monday assumed the chairmanship of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials, taking over from Carlos Rodrigues Da Costa of Mozambique said already Sadc was making impressive strides in many aspects, and Malawi would continue supporting the same.
The 41st Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Ordinary Summit – which has pooled together 400 delegates – is presently in session in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe, and is being held under the theme ‘Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of Covid Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable, Economic and Industrial Transformation’.
“As we are all aware, Sadc is making great strides in many areas of regional economic cooperation and integration under the frameworks of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 and Sadc’s Vision 2050 that aims at having a peaceful, inclusive, competitive, middle to high income industrialised region, where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice, and freedom by 2050.
“The Government of Malawi is, therefore, committed to working tirelessly with you all in the realisation of the goals and objectives of the RISDP 2020- 30 and Sadc Vision 2050 thereby translating the aspirations of our fore fathers into realities,” Sikwese said.
Sadc Standing Committee of Senior Officials precedes upcoming meetings of the Sadc Council of Ministers slated for August 13 and 14 and the 41st Ordinary Summit of the Sadc Heads of State and Government, which will be held from August 17 to 18.
According to Sikwese the summit’s theme seeks to accelerate the implementation of the Sadc Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020–2030; in particular, the Industrialisation and Market Integration pillar.
He said the main role of the meeting of the Sadc Standing Committee of Senior Officials is to fully prepare the work to be considered and adopted by the Sadc Council of Ministers.
During the 41st Summit, Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera will take over the chairmanship of the regional grouping from President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique.
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 envisages a peaceful, inclusive, and 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, Her Excellency Stergomena Lawrence Tax, will bid farewell to Sadc Heads of State and Government after serving for eight years and a new Sadc Executive Secretary will be sworn in.
Coincidentally, Tax was sworn in as Sadc Executive Secretary at the 33rd Sadc Summit, which Malawi last hosted in Lilongwe in August, 2013.