By Moses Magadza

Ezulwini, Swaziland : The SADC Parliamentary Forum is considering joint training sessions for journalists and Members of Parliament as it moves to strengthen the capacity of the two partners to advocate for universal access to sexual reproductive health rights and related issues.

The chairperson of the Human Development and Special Programme (HDSP) of SADC PF, South Africa Parliamentarian Ahmed Shaik-Emmam, revealed this last week. He was tabling the report of the HSDP at the 39^th Plenary Assembly Session of SADC PF.

The HSDP is implementing a four year SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance programme with funding from Sweden.

Staff Writer

HARARE, ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe's Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday (12 November, 2016) officially launched the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting those Already in Marriage, paving the way for the domestication of this groundbreaking law by SADC Member States.

Speaking to approximately Members of Parliament from 13 SADC Member States who included Speakers of National Parliaments, the Vice President, who also officially opened the 40^th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, described the day on which the Model Law was launched as a great day in the history of the SADC Region.

"Today will go down in the annals of history as the day that our Members of Parliament set aside political and other differences to resoundingly say NO to child marriage by delivering a Model Law that will no doubt provide guidance to all our Member States as they develop or refine their own national laws to eradicate child marriage," he said to thunderous applause.

Describing child marriage as an "embarrassing scourge", Mnangagwa, who is also the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, noted that it had taken SADC PF and its partners nearly two years to develop the Model Law with so much commonality that it could easily be adopted or adapted as Member States reform, develop legal instruments and policies to eradicate child marriage.

"It has been a long journey marked by widespread consultations involving many stakeholders including legal drafters, our own MPs, civil society organisations and even our judges who enriched the Model Law," he said before outlining six detailed steps taken to develop the Model Law before the 39 ^th SADC PF Plenary Assembly Session which took place in Ezulwini, Swaziland on the 3rd of June, 2016, unanimously adopted it.

A lawyer, the Vice President said Model Law provides evidence-based guidance on how the SADC Region can address child marriage, especially in the face of inadequate or sometimes conflicting related legal instruments.

"Based on the latest evidence, the Model Law will no doubt be a valuable sounding board to countries as they reform, develop or revitalize their laws related to child marriage and its impact."

Noting that child marriage was a global problem, he urged SADC Member States to unite against the phenomenon lest they fail to benefit from the demographic dividend.

He said Zimbabwe, like other SADC Member States opposed child marriage, with the country's President Robert Mugabe determined to keep all children in school.

Mnangagwa said the Model Law would be distributed to Parliaments and other interested stakeholders in the SADC countries, especially relevant Government Ministries and Departments.

"It also needs to be presented to the SADC Secretariat for consideration to be transformed into a SADC Protocol on Child Marriage."

He urged SADC PF to hold workshops with key stakeholders in SADC Member States to popularize the Model Law and work with the media in this regard.

"Our Member States need to take a hard look at child-related marriage laws they have in their countries and pass relevant laws. More importantly, Members of Parliament can and must use their oversight role to ensure that National budgets support implementation of laws and policies in their countries to eradicate child marriage and support those already in marriage."

Speaking at the same launch, SADC PF Deputy President, Malawi lawmaker Joseph Njobvuyalema said the new Model Law might encourage SADC Member States to be accountable in the execution of policies, the enactment of laws and in coming up with strategic plans and measures aimed at eradicating child marriage, protecting children already in marriage and ensuring SRHRs of young persons.

"We are convinced that the creation of a robust and uniform legal framework relating to child marriage is key to addressing child marriage and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights," he said.

Njobvuyalema said regional and international treaties require countries to set the minimum age of marriage at 18, register all marriages and take effective action, including legislation, to eradicate child marriage.

"I call upon all MPs in our region to do all within their power to move towards implementing laws and policies that are relevant to our national settings to eradicate child marriage. This Model Law obliges Member States to provide in national legislation for intervention programmes to support child brides or wives and their families."

Among other things the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting those already in Marriage promotes earlier and more frequent use of family planning; HIV and AIDS and maternal health services; educational and economic opportunities to help break the cycle of inequality, illiteracy, illness and poverty that frequently perpetuate child marriage.

It provides, also, for comprehensive sexuality education and provides for collection of data on the number and status of children already in marriage, including the child's education, access to resources, health care, education, information and entertainment and the socio-economic status of the family.

Staff Writer

The Executive Director of the Prison Care and Counselling Association

(PRISCCA) in Zambia, Dr Godfrey Malembeka, has warned that HIV epidemics in the world's prisons can fuel epidemics in mainstream communities unless steps are taken to safeguard the health of prisoners.

Dr Malembeka sounded the warning while addressing a Consultative Capacity Development Session for Zambian Civil Society Organisations working on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, HIV and AIDS. The session sought to map out a strategy for engaging the Parliament of Zambia.

Noting that the African continent was the hardest hit by the global HIV and AIDS epidemic, Dr Malembeka bemoaned the fact that prison settings in Sub-Saharan Africa had received "surprisingly little" attention in terms of national and international funding to respond to the epidemic.

PRISCCA represents thousands of serving and ex-prisoners in Zambia. Dr Malembeka is an ex-prisoner, having spent four years in jail. Thereafter he spent 16 years working closely with the Government of Zambia on efforts to rehabilitate ex-prisoners. He therefore, boasts of a wealth of experience in issues that affect prisoners or when they leave detention.

He said PRISCCA submits related reports to the Parliament of Zambia twice a year. The organisation also uses Parliament Radio to discuss issues that affect prisoners. It takes MPs out for a retreat every year to further debate those issues. Additionally, PRISCCA takes MPs on visits to some of the country's correctional facilities so that the lawmakers witness first-hand the challenges in those settings.

He said the SADC Region alone had approximately 650 000 incarcerated people, 19 000 of those in Zambia.

Stressing that good prison health was equal to good public health, Dr Malembeka warned that unless steps were taken to keep prisoners healthy, the health of people outside prisoners would be in jeopardy.

"HIV in prison is both a public health and a human rights issue. It is also a legal issue and there are myths and stigma, surrounding incarceration," he said.

He cited overcrowding and poor physical conditions in most prisons as major challenges in HIV prevention.

With prison populations being predominantly male, Dr Malembeka said male-to-male sexual activities were frequent.

"There are three types of sexual activities in prisons. The first is consensual, where a few people have agreed to live like that because some are there for life or serving more than 30 years."

The second type was rape, which was fuelled by prisoners that preyed on juveniles or the weak.

"The third type is circumstantial sex. Sometimes because of overcrowding, male prisoners end up naked and squeezed close together in such a way that some 'dreams' can come," he explained.

He called for research to determine the levels of sexual activities in prisons, saying much of it was not reported and therefore not documented.

"Potential links for transmitting HIV from prisons into the general population are high due to stigma, marriage break ups and lack of partner notification."

Dr Malembeka said lack of knowledge and education among prisoners about the risks of contracting and transmitting HIV coupled with the absence of protective means and proper medical care, increased prisoners' risks to HIV infection.

Women prisoners

"Most of our sisters who are incarcerated are divorced in advance because (few people) are ready to wait for their spouses."

He said over half a million women and girls were being held in penal institutions worldwide.

"Women are especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation and may trade or be forced to trade sex for food, goods or drugs with other prisoners or staff," he said.

Turning to factors that contribute to HIV in prisons and that MPs could examine, Dr Malembeka cited weaknesses of the criminal justice system, overcrowding, poor food and nutrition as well as lack of health care and lack of follow up on released prisoners.

Others included poor adherence to ART treatment, lack of prevention commodities such as condoms the mixing of pre-trial detainees, juveniles and convicted people.

SECONDER’S SPEECH

Mr   President, I rise to second the Report of the Standing Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources to the 41^st Plenary Assembly Session.

Mr President, we Parliamentarians, as legislators and representatives of our people, are responsible for ensuring that the regulatory frameworks and agreements with mining companies regarding extractive industries contribute to sustainable social and economic development and thus benefit the citizens of this region. Our role has become increasingly relevant in the wake of increased investment in mining by private investors from emerging economic giants such as China, whose interests may be making profit at the expense of the Region’s economy and the welfare of our people.

Sustainable development cannot be guaranteed unless we exercise due oversight over those who award mining rights on our behalf. Moreover, effective oversight requires that Parliaments and parliamentarians engage with the process of mining activity from the inception stage. It is at this inception stage that the benefit to the country and the affected communities, the rights of workers, and issues regarding the management of the environment, among others, are determined and agreed upon.

Mr President, just recently, at the end of June this year, the government of Tanzania submitted 3 bills to Parliament, which have since been passed, that will enable the review and renegotiation of mining contracts awarded to private investors in an effort to ensure that the interests of the people of Tanzania are secured. In the interest of ensuring the fast tracking of these bills, the Parliamentary Session was actually extended for several days to allow MPs to study the bills and approve them. Tanzania has set the stage for the rest of the Region to begin to seriously consider the review of its mining legislation for the benefit of the citizens.

Mr President, the Model Laws that the SADC Parliamentary Forum has so far developed have been well received. It is encouraging to note that these Model Laws are providing the much needed capacity that we Parliamentarians require to interrogate issues from a point of knowledge and begin to make a notable difference in the way the affairs of our countries are being run in many areas, including mining. The guiding provisions contained in these Model Laws are meant to open our eyes and enhance our contribution and effectiveness at national level. It is for this reason, Mr President, that I second the Report of the Committee, which is highlighting the proposed provisions for the Model Law on Private Sector Participation in Mining.

Mr President, in addition, I wish to join the clarion call encouraging the tabling of more motions regarding food, agriculture, and natural resources in the region, for out of this may come the answer to eradicating poverty in the region.

Mr President, I beg to Second.

Mover:                       Honourable Mfanawemakhosi J Dlamini, MP, Swaziland

Seconder:                Honourable Innocent Gonese, MP

Date for which Notice is given: Wednesday, 12 July 2017

Mr. President, I rise to second the Report of the Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (TIFI) Standing Committee being moved by my Chairperson, His Royal Highness Prince Dlamini, MP.   

I wish to recall and remind this august Assembly that the TIFI Committee previously held its session under the theme: “Enhancing Access to Medicine through the Adoption of Human Rights-based Approach in harnessing the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) flexibilities within the SADC region.”  The outcome of this meeting was presented and adopted by the 39^th Plenary Assembly which was held in June 2016, in the Kingdom of Swaziland.

This is therefore the second time that we are reiterating the importance of parliamentary engagement in issues of Intellectual Property (IP) Rights in general and TRIPs in particular. Africa including our beloved Region is known for contributing so much to international trade but yet getting so little in return. This is generally due to our continued detrimental trade in primary commodity products but also our failure to sufficiently take advantage of all available trade opportunities including those available through the TRIPs.

Mr. President, Honourable Members,

Intellectual property barriers, complex as they may sound to be, - inhibit access to affordable and safe generic HIV, TB and Hepatitis C medicines.  This is a global health challenge which is further compounded by (i) inadequate health systems, (ii) underdevelopment & poverty and (ii) high prices of medicines.

Patent laws, which are regulated through the TRIPs Agreement, as well as bilateral and multilateral trade agreements between different countries, are regrettably contributing to restricted access to essential medicines. The Good News is that there are countries in the Region including my country Zimbabwe which were able to make use of the TRIPS flexibilities to provide cheaper generic medicine to fight the AIDS pandemic. The bottom line is that this flexibilities are there for all the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) including those in our Region but we are simply not taking advantage of them.

Our beloved people who graceful put us in office will continue to suffer and die until we decide to take practical and decisive steps to harness the flexibilities within the TRIPS Agreement.  

Mr. President, I beg to second the motion.

Mover: Honourable Siphosezwe MASANGO, MP, South Africa

Seconder:  Hon. Balamage Nkolo, MP

Date for which Notice is given: Friday 14 July 2017

Mr. President, I rise to second the Motion by Hon. Masango urging this august Assembly to consider and resolve on the African Union Assembly Decision (Assembly/AU/Dec.635 (XXVIII) advocating the restructuring of the African Union (AU). This is timely and relevant and our engagement today will allow a regional parliamentary reflection and resolution. 

We are all aware that the current African Union (AU) was born out of the then Organization for African Unity (OAU) which was primarily focused on liberation of the continent from the colonial yoke, which objective was really achieved. The AU through this transformational process is supposedly more focussed on the twin mammoth tasks of development and the integration of the continent. In 1992 our own Southern African Development Community (SADC) also went through the same restructuring process. SADC recently through the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) (2015-2020), SADC refocused its development and integration agenda.

Mr. President, Hounorable Members,

My input here serves to emphasize that restructuring and reorganization by continental and regional organizations is important but I wish to urge that it be accompanied by introspection and evaluation. Africa’s development agenda started with the Lagos Plan of Action (1980) which followed by many other development proposals to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD 2001) and now to the Agenda 2063. 

The change from one development plan to another, well intended as it may be, results in confusion and lack of ownership by the continental citizenry.  Consequently, domestication and oversight at the national level is hampered. Of greater concern is the fact that the lessons learned which are supposed to show challenges and successes are not taken up and we run the risk of repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

Mr. President,

This august house needs to know what we have learned out of the implementation of NEPAD and to confirm as to whether we are still on track. Are we perhaps not shifting the goal post with the Agenda 2063? With regard to the SADC Region, the revised RISDP is no longer providing regional integration targets as was the case in the original RISDP.  The biggest dilemma of Africa’s development planning is that it is primarily premised on external funding and not on our own resources. This is an anomaly which we have to correct without delay.

Mr. President, I beg to second the motion.

INTRODUCTION

Honourable Members, distinguished resource persons, staff of represented National Parliaments, staff of the SADC PF, ladies and gentlemen.

Allow me to welcome you to Johannesburg, South Africa and to this Standing Committee Meeting. Indeed, the fact that you all accepted the invitation to be here in spite of other competing commitments is a testament of your faith in the Human and Special Development Programme and your determination to make a difference in the lives of our compatriots through it.

Allow me, also, on behalf of our entire committee and indeed on my own behalf, to thank Sweden and Norway for their belief in us. That belief is expressed through funding of our Programme. We are committed to ensuring that this Programme continues to deliver so that when it ends, it can be replicated in the other SADC Member States that are not yet implementing it.

IMPORTANCE OF STANDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Honourable Members, ladies and gentlemen, for us at SADC PF, Standing Committees are the engine rooms of our directorates. It is through participating in these Standing Committee meetings that we better appreciate the successes, challenges and plans of our Programme. Additionally, Standing Committee meetings enable us, as Members, to provide guidance and stewardship to our Programme at macro level. It is for these reasons that I always call for meticulous preparation so that we really achieve a lot through the interaction that these periodic platforms present. I believe very strongly that if we make it a habit to prepare thoroughly, participate actively in discussions during Standing Committee meetings and remain engaged long after our meetings, we can provide the strong leadership that would propel our Programme forward.

BUSY SCHEDULE

I have looked at the programme. It is packed. I plead for your active participation.

Our Programme has been quite busy and will be very busy, going forward. It needs our support and guidance to continue doing good work.

I will not pre-empt what we have gathered here to hear. However, I cannot defer my excitement over the fact that, after months of careful planning, our Programme will soon embark on a mid-term review. Please join me in congratulating KPMG for landing this assignment out of many equally strong candidates.

MID-TERM REVIEW

Honourable Members, ladies and gentlemen, our Programme is an action-oriented programme and we have built an enviable reputation for walking our talk.

By commissioning a mid-term review, we are sending out a message to the beneficiaries of our Programme and those funding us (Sweden and Norway) that we are also goal-oriented. This mid-term review is important in that it will measure our progress thus far. Additionally, it will tell us what we need to do more of, or differently, so that when all has been said and done, we can rest assured that we indeed made a difference.

CONCLUSION

Honourable Members, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to end my remarks by thanking all those who worked professionally, often behind the scenes, to make this meeting possible.

I wish you productive deliberations. It is now my singular honour and privilege to declare this meeting officially open.

I THANK YOU!

Mr President, in seconding this motion, let me reiterate that the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes remains grateful to Sweden and Norway for their continued financial support to the Programme in general and to specific projects and activities in particular.

Mr President, while the Programme has experienced some serious challenges in the implementation of its two key project activities as itemised by the mover of this motion, that is the SADC HIV Financing Project and the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project, it is not all bleak.  We have, Mr President, recorded some success and made progress in some countries.  In terms of some of the success stories relating to the implementation of various project activities, I wish to update this house as outlined below.

In Malawi, some of the key activities undertaken include capacity building workshops for Members of Parliament serving on the Committees responsible for health, budget and gender as well as some civil society organisations working in the area of SRHR, HIV and AIDS.  Further, the Parliament of Malawi has since enacted the Marriage and Divorce Relations Act, which outlawed all forms of child marriage in Malawi.  Notably, the passing of this Act illustrated how ruling and opposition party Members of Parliament could collaborate if they were galvanised around an issue of common interest as the two sides of the House stood together and passed this Act and the subsequent relevant constitutional amendments nemine contradicente.

In the wake of these developments, the Members of Parliament had been undertaking outreach activities within the communities to popularise the provisions of the Act and sensitise the members of the public about it.

In Zimbabwe, two capacity building training activities were held under the two Projects: one targeting Members of Parliament and the other targeting civil society organisations working in the area of HIV and AIDS.  Subsequently, a debate was held in Parliament about child marriage and the call to eradicate child marriage received overwhelming support from both male and female Members of Parliament in equal measure.  Two public hearings were later held in April, 2017 on matters related to SRHR with support under the Project.

The house may wish to note that in Zambia, a number of activities have been undertaken under the two Projects.  Other than the assignment of staff from Parliament and the National AIDS Council to support implementation of the Projects, a Steering Committee was set up, which also served as a Project Monitoring Committee.  Further, a Technical Working Group and Steering Committee were set up, and an orientation and two meetings were held for the said Technical Working Group.  Additionally, in accordance with Outcome 4 of the Project, a National Dialogue over HIV financing gaps was held on 3rd December, 2015.  The outcome of the National Dialogue was a recommendation by stakeholders that Zambia should set ambitious targets and accelerate the delivery of high-impact HIV prevention and treatment services. The participants called for innovative approaches to expand services, bring them closer to the people and focus on the locations and populations with the highest HIV burden while exploring innovative ways to finance these activities.

A second capacity building workshop was held for members of staff of parliament and line ministries’ HIV focal point persons in September, 2016.  Some of the key outcomes of these interventions were, for example, that several Members of Parliament were able to bring up the issue of health and particularly HIV financing in their debate and during the Vice President’s Question Time with the support of the various officials who were capacitated during the workshops alluded to.

Furthermore, arising from these capacity building activities for both staff of Parliament and MPs, the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services, with facilitation and support from the capacitated members of staff, adopted a topical issue on Zambia’s preparedness to implement SDG No 3, Target 3.7 in its Programme of Work for the First Session of the Twelfth National Assembly.  Pursuant to this, the Committee engaged various state and non-state actors, including the National AIDS Council, on the issues of SRHR, by asking them to respond to questions which the Committee generated in relation to, among other things, HIV financing.  The Committee undertook two public hearings in April, 2017, with the outcomes of the public hearings being included in the Committee’s report to Parliament which is expected to be presented in June, 2017.

Mr President, it was noted that a number of Parliaments often do not respond timely to communication from the office of the Secretary General regarding various issues, including the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project.  Let me reiterate the appeal made at successive Plenary Assembly Sessions by the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes that in many cases, the correspondence from the Secretary General is very time sensitive.  Accordingly, failure by National Parliaments to respond timely may mean that the Forum loses an opportunity to benefit from one measure or another.  By way of example, as a result of their failure to respond timely, many Parliaments had been disadvantaged in that they are not able to participate in various activities, such as the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project itself, since they did not communicate their commitment and willingness to participate in these activities at the time they were required to do so.  In this light, may I take this opportunity to implore all Member Parliaments of the Forum to ensure implementation of the resolution passed at several Plenary Assembly Sessions that National Parliaments are under obligation to respond timely to requests and calls to action by the secretariat.  Short of this, the Forum will continue to experience the challenges I have highlighted above.

Mr President, I beg to second and I thank you.

Mr President, I beg to move that this House do adopt the report of the Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes for the 41^st Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, laid on the Table of the House on…, 2017.

Mr President, in moving this Motion, I wish to inform this august house that the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes convened on Friday, 7^th April, 2017 at Southern Sun O R Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa in accordance with its mandate under Rule 41(e) of the Rules of Procedure.  In attendance at the meeting were twelve of the fourteen member Parliaments of the Forum, with apologies recorded only from the National Parliaments of Lesotho and Mauritius.    As chairperson of the Standing Committee, I wish to pay tribute to all Members for taking time to attend the meeting in spite of other pressing commitments.  This is a testament to their determination to make a difference in the lives of SADC citizens through the Programme. 

Mr President, the Plenary Assembly may wish to note that after a lengthy period of careful planning, the Programme undertook a Mid-Term Review of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and AIDS Governance (SRHR) Project in May, 2017.  The Mid Term Review was a holistic, independent evaluation of the methodology of the Project, including key aspects such as the level of engagement and coordination, among other things.  The Mid Term Review generated information that will be used to inform future Project activities or indeed future Projects with particular regard to capacity enhancement for Members of Parliament on SRHR, HIV and AIDS governance.  It also shed light on various aspects of the implementation process which required improvement, in order to attain the Project objectives and ultimately make a difference in the lives of the Project’s beneficiaries.  The commissioning of the Mid-Term Review is a strong signal to all its stakeholders that the Project is goal-oriented and that we are open to introspect on the performance of the Project for improved delivery of the Project outcomes.  

As regards ongoing activities in the period since our last report to this Plenary Assembly, I wish to inform this august house that a need was identified to support the Researchers working on the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project with laptops.  To this end, seven laptops were procured for all the SRHR Project Researchers in the participating Parliaments to facilitate their work on the Project.  The laptops have since been distributed to the participating Parliaments, with each Parliament receiving one laptop.

Further, Mr President, this 41^st Plenary Assembly is requested to note that the HSDSP has been running two Projects, namely; the SADC HIV Financing Project and the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and AIDS Governance Project.  Under the SADC Financing Project, the Forum was availed a total sum of US $500,000 to be applied towards capacitating Parliamentarians in the oversight of commitments made at the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government held in July, 2013 by their governments on domestic financing of the HIV and AIDS response.  A number of activities have since been undertaken under the two Projects, although there were considerable challenges recorded in some Parliaments.  The SADC HIV Financing Project Agreement, came to an end in December, 2016. 

Mr President, allow me now to briefly highlight some of the key challenges that have been experienced in implementing the SADC HIV Financing Project in some of the member countries.

• Lesotho

The Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes noted with concern that at the time of its sitting, the Parliament of Lesotho was dissolved pending general elections which were due to be held in that country on 3^rd June, 2017.  Similarly, the Committee sadly observed that the political instability in that country, which had necessitated that the country go to elections twice in a period of two years in 2015 and 2017, had made it difficult to implement the Project as planned activities repeatedly had to be suspended.  Further, because of frequent elections, some Members of Parliament who had been capacitated under the Project were lost.  Be that as it may, the Standing Committee noted that the Parliament of Lesotho remained committed to continuing with implementation of the Project activities as soon as the new Parliament settled down after the June, 2017 elections.

• Tanzania

Members may wish to note that only two activities had been implemented in Tanzania since inception of the Project.  The first one was a capacity building activity for Members of Parliament serving on Committees and the second for civil society organisations involved in HIV and AIDS work in that country. Needless to say, more could have been done, given the length of time since the beginning of the Project.  However, some administrative challenges had caused delays in implementation.

• Seychelles and Namibia

Regrettably, no updates were received by the Standing Committee from Seychelles and Namibia on the implementation of the Project. 

Being concerned about the status quo, the Standing Committee resolved that each participating Parliament be required to submit a progress report on the Project to the Standing Committee on HSDSP every three months.  The Reports should highlight any implementation challenges and impediments being faced in order to facilitate timely intervention and guidance by the Committee where necessary.  This will contribute to smoother implementation of the Project in the National Parliaments.

I wish to further report to this august house, Mr President, that the Committee under the auspices of the SADC PF SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project, and in collaboration with the Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, co-hosted the first ever Women’s Parliament on the occasion of the 41^st Plenary Assembly Session in Mahé, Seychelles from 5^th to 6^th July, 2017. This international event focused on Resolution 60/2, championed by the SADC region and passed by the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).  The deliberations during the Women’s Parliament centred around four thematic areas, namely:

1. Gender Based Violence
2. Women Girls and HIV/AID
3. Access to Abortion Service
4. Access to Information and SRHR Services.

The Women’s Parliament was aimed at identifying and prioritising what needed to be done going forward in order to achieve the goals contained in the said Resolution 60/2.  A full report on the proceedings during the Women’s Parliament will be presented by the RWPC, during this sitting.

Mr President, the Standing Committee expressed concern over the fact that in most Parliaments, the Members of Parliament serving as delegates to SADC PF do not have information on the Projects being undertaken under this Programme.  This is because most of the country delegations do not meet regularly to exchange notes on what activities the respective SADC PF Standing Committees on which they serve were undertaking, hence they have little, if any, knowledge on the activities being undertaken by their counterparts serving on other Standing Committees of the Forum.  As a result, the members are not able to track SADC PF activities such as the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project, and provide timely interventions where necessary.

In light of the foregoing, the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes does hereby resolve to recommend to the 41^st Plenary Assembly as follows:

1. The Forum should, yet again, implore all participating Parliaments, through the Offices of Speakers, to take the Project very seriously and ensure that the Project activities are implemented timely in order to ensure that the Forum maintains its good standing with its cooperating partners, but more importantly in order that the intended beneficiaries, the citizens of SADC, can begin to enjoy the benefits of the Project;
2. The Forum should appeal to all Speakers of SADC parliaments to institute mechanisms for MPs serving on SADC PF Standing Committees to meet regularly within their countries to share information about the work of the respective Committees on which they serve and the Forum in general. It was noted that regular meetings among SADC PF delegates in all the Member Parliaments would allow for easy flow of information and smooth handovers where these became necessary for various reasons.
3. The Forum should appeal to all SADC Member Parliaments to take the resolutions of the Mahe Declaration, an outcome document from the Women’s parliament seriously and advocate for their implementation within their legislative mandate and within the context of the respective countries
4. The Forum record its gratitude to all the participating Parliaments under the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project for their cooperation and facilitation of the Project Mid Term Review, which was successfully undertaken.

In concluding, sir, allow me to place on record the gratitude of the Standing Committee to the SADC PF Secretariat for convening and coordinating the meeting and to Sweden and Norway for providing continued funding for the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project.  Tribute also goes to all other partners who, through their support, made it possible for the meeting to be held.

Mr President, I beg to move.