Membership:

Presiding Officers and three representatives of member National Parliaments.

• Chaired by Chairperson of the Forum
• At Headquarters (Windhoek) or in different member States on a rotational basis

Functions of the Plenary Assembly:

• Policy making and deliberative body
• Approve annual budget and audited accounts
• Make recommendations to SADC authorities on any matter
• Advise SADC Summit on matters of overall policy
• Scrutinise and make recommendations on SADC budget and Annual Reports
• Consider and make recommendations on any treaties and draft treaties referred to it by SADC
• Promote objectives and programmes of SADC
• Study, be briefed and make recommendations on all SADC Sectoral Reports
• Observer representation in SADC Summit Meetings
• Consulted by any SADC institution on any major activity
• Exercise power to send for person(s), papers and records of any SADC official or SADC institution
• Debate issues

Membership:

• Six Presiding Officers
• Six Representatives elected by Plenary Assembly every 2 years
• Secretary General (Secretary)
• Treasurer designated from among Committee members
• Chair: elected from among members
• Vice-chair: elected from among Committee members

• Chaired by the Chairperson of the SADC Parliamentary Forum for a 2 year term

• Answerable to Plenary Assembly
• Manage affairs of the Forum
• Implement decisions of Plenary Assembly
• Give direction to Secretary General
• Prepare annual budget and Reports for Plenary Assembly
• Prepare agenda of Plenary Assembly Meetings
• Present programmes of activities of the Forum
• Table Annual Audited Accounts
• Prepare rules and regulations for approval/adoption by Plenary Assembly
• Appoint staff of the office of Secretary General (on terms and conditions determined by it as per the Constitution of SADC-PF)
  

• Agenda setting, articulating and strengthening the parliamentary dimension of regional cooperation and integration through knowledge and information sharing on regional protocols and declarations of SADC, the continent (NEPAD, Pan African Parliament) and at the global level (United Nations, etc);
• Empowerment and sensitisation activities on parliament’s representation, supervision and legislative functions to advance regional cooperation and integration;
• Research and review of opportunities and obstacles to regional cooperation and integration;
  
• Lobbying for the ratifi cation and domestication of protocols in national laws and monitoring the implementation of protocols; and
• Build capacities of parliaments and parliamentarians to interrogate, debate and address issues of regional integration.

Standing Committee on Democratisation, Governance and Gender Equality

Contribute to the deepening and evolution of sustainable democracy and regional norms that advance peace, stability, gender equity, and human rights and good governance for development:

• Promote and strengthen parliamentary-based gender equality lobbying and advocacy, research and monitoring the implementation of the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development, along with domestication of related continental and international conventions on gender equality;
• Enhance and infl uence parliamentary debates and processes for the promotion of gender equality;
• Engender all structures of governance, peace building and regional integration;
• Lobby for the review and development of inclusive and participatory electoral systems, practices and processes to advance peace, mitigate confl ict, and deepen democracy and good governance;
• Strengthen constitutional institutions of democracy such as electoral management bodies, gender, media and anti-corruption commissions;
• Engaging with civil society, business and intellectual communities in promoting popular participation and deepening democratic practice;
• Consolidate and deepen democracy and working to avert reversals in democratic consolidation;
• Lobby and advocate for the facilitation of governance and gender issues through the use of ICTs;
• Lobby and advocate for the improvement of the political and legal environment within which elections are held; and
• Undertaking election-related missions, peace and confl ict vulnerability assessments.
  

• Empowerment of parliaments as institutions of democracy, parliamentarians and parliamentary
  staff through knowledge, information sharing, lobbying and advocacy and sensitisation;
• Agenda setting on best practices for good parliamentary corporate governance, inter-party
  collaboration and intra-party democratic principles;
• Cooperation and collaboration with other inter-parliamentary bodies on matters of mutual
  interest (PAP, ECOWAS, EALA, CPA, IPU, etc);
• Capacity building in all areas of parliamentary practice and procedures;
• Research, information management and documentation of parliamentary practices;
• Effective and effi cient utilisation of ICTs to promote legislative practices; and
• Promoting inclusive corporate governance in the Forum organs and practices.

HIV and AIDS

• Promoting and sustain dialogue and collaboration in HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support particularly among elected leaders;
• Ongoing collaboration with the Executive, members of parliament, the private sector, relevant civil society organizations, in particular networks of People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA);
• Develop and lobby for the adoption, by all parliaments, of model legislation on HIV and AIDS relating to issues of discrimination and prejudice, protecting women, orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), among others;
• Identify and respond to emerging technologies and therapies as they relate to the optimal prevention, care and treatment of people living with, or at risk of HIV, including nonconventional therapies;
• Lobbying for and share best practices on effective parliamentary committees on HIV and AIDS;
• Identifying and promote educational opportunities for the people of SADC that relate to the optimal care and treatment of people living with, or at risk of HIV;
• Developing mechanisms for ensuring accountability and among leaders and governments; and ensure ongoing funding, both public and private, for the treatment and management of HIV in the SADC region.
• Ensuring through legislative supervision, ongoing excellence in HIV research and evaluation of treatment, care and support;
• Building national and regional capacity to exercise effective budget monitoring;
• Generating goals and priorities for policy and legislation review;
• Mainstreaming guidelines and standards of care for PLWHA throughout all programme activities of the Forum;

Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus

• Advocacy and lobbying campaigns to promote women’s representation in all decision making positions in political parties at national and regional levels;
• Develop a women’s agenda for the Forum and national parliaments including developing strategic programmes, creating a plan of action and outcome document to ensure effective implementation of programmes in the region;
• Complement the agenda of the National Women’s Parliamentary Caucus in monitoring/ supervisory role on women’s political participation and representation;
• Ensure effective participation and representation of women in the institution of parliament, its structures in the Forum and other relevant international initiatives;
• Compile and share a database of women role models in the region based on good practices to promote women in positions of power and decision making;
• Provide substantive input in the national processes of political parties’ decisions making bodies, intra party democracy reviews, electoral systems reforms and legislation on women’s participation and representation;
• Lobby for the ratifi cation, implementation and dissemination of information on international and regional treaties/protocols and conventions on women’s rights in collaboration with committees responsible for gender and human rights.
• Facilitate additional empowerment and knowledge transfer strategies for national women’s parliamentary caucuses and women candidates;
• Monitor and disseminate information on women’s participation in positions of power and decision making;
• Work to increase women’s political opportunities and visibility by developing regional messages on women’s representation and leadership.
• Advocate for electoral and other legislative and constitutional reviews and reforms that guarantee equal participation and representation of women and men in positions of power and decision making;
• Advocate and contribute to the creation of a conducive and peaceful environment for women to participate in elections and
• Advocate and lobby for the implementation of Millennium Development Goals with a special focus on improving the general livelihoods of women.

Take Note:
Terms and conditions of service of the Secretariat staff are not necessarily limited to those of SADC and its institutions (c/f Constitution Article 10 (3) P17).

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Download the SADC Parliamentary Forum Strategic Plan (2006 - 2010)