Forum Programs

Programme and Activities of the forum

In order to implement the Strategic Plan the SADC Forum implements its programmes s and Activities through the following focus areas

Activities

Activities

The SADC PF HIV and AIDS programme is informed by the 6 regional SADC HIV and AIDS strategic focus areas. These are:

In the exercise of its mandate, the SADC PF has a number of priority areas. These include regional integration, democracy and governance, gender equality, HIV and AIDS, capacity building and inter-parliamentary cooperation and human rights. The SADC PF believes that there is a correlation between each of these priority areas. As such, the SADC PF HIV and AIDS business Plan , will endeavor to mainstream HIV and AIDS into all of the above priority areas.

The SADC PF Strategic Plan for 2006-2010 notably highlights HIV and AIDS as a priority in the democracy and governance of the SADC region. The HIV/AIDS Standing Committee will therefore carry out its mandate in the context of the following:

The SADC PF HIV and AIDS program services parliamentary HIV and AIDS portfolio committees in SADC states, and therefore attempt to implement the various recommendations and plans of action that emanate from these committees. For example, in the report of the SADC HIV and AIDS Standing Committee at the 18 SADC PF Plenary Assembly in Mbabane, Swaziland, it was noted that despite all the interventions and programmes put in place, the seroprevalence rate was still rising. It was therefore recommended that there was the need to encourage information sharing of best practices from national and regional experiences, to intensify action for awareness-raising, and to encourage parliamentarians and other influential personalities to take the HIV and AIDS test and to publicly declare the results of these test. The SADC PF HIV/AIDS Office therefore tries to implement these recommendations.

With support from Africa Capacity Building Foundation the SADC PF has establishment of the Parliamentary Leadership Centre, which offers a basket of training areas. The curriculum includes, but is not limited to:

In the start-up period, at least for the first four years, the PLC will operate from the SADC-PF Secretariat, and take programmes to member states and to regionally organized fora. In the long-term though, the Centre might become a separate and autonomous entity, particularly if the Forum were to transform into a regional legislature as has always been envisaged.

Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships for the Leadership Centre

The Parliamentary Forum recognizes the commendable work that has been done and continues to be done by various stakeholders in the area of parliamentary development and parliamentarian’s performance and skills enhancement, both at national and regional levels. The Forum, through the PLC, therefore, sees its role more as a coordinating and facilitative one, rather than wholly as a sole implementing agent. In this regard, discussions have been initiated with such institutions as the University of Western Cape (UWC), IDASA, and AWEPA which have done, and continue to do, work with parliaments and parliamentarians to establish possible linkages and synergies. This is important to consolidate efforts and maximize impact. It is envisaged that the PLC will in its operations, utilize the available resources residing with other organizations in the region and elsewhere that work with parliaments and parliamentarians – human, technical, financial, and otherwise.