He made the remarks on Tuesday during his first official visit to the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) Secretariat in Windhoek, Namibia.

“If our parliaments don’t function, neither the executive nor the judiciary can do their work. Parliamentarians are there to represent and serve the people, and their role is indispensable.”
— Mr. Kristian Olsson Selerud

Mr. Selerud was accompanied by Ms. Veronica Perzanowska, Counsellor, Analyst, and Acting Head of the SRHR-team at the Embassy of Sweden. He reaffirmed Sweden’s longstanding partnership with SADC PF, which stretches back decades. Sweden is the Forum’s main supporter of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV and AIDS Governance Project, now in its third phase (2023–2026).

Sweden’s Impact on SADC PF

SADC PF Secretary-General Ms. Boemo Sekgoma commended Sweden for its unwavering support, noting that it has catalysed wide-ranging reforms across the region.

“These reforms are proof that parliaments can directly shape people’s lives when backed with strong laws and proper oversight.”
— Ms. Boemo Sekgoma

She described Sweden’s support as the “last beacon” for advancing SRHR in the SADC region, highlighting that collaboration since 2009 has entrenched parliamentary democracy and influenced national policy-making in SRHR, gender, and governance.

“Without this project, several domestic laws to prevent child marriage would not have been enacted and budgets would not have been as responsive as they are today. I might even add that without this project in recent years, some governments would have prioritised COVID and other ailments, completely discarding SRHR.”
— Ms. Boemo Sekgoma

Advancing SRHR and Governance

The SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project tackles urgent regional challenges, including:

• Eradication of child marriage and gender-based violence

• Universal access to SRHR services

• Good governance and accountability

• Human rights and non-discrimination

The project also supports domestication of SADC Model Laws, including those on Gender-Based Violence and Public Financial Management. Importantly, it integrates climate action and gender mainstreaming, ensuring women’s and girls’ voices are central to climate response and disaster recovery strategies.

Parliamentary Action and Results

Presenting progress, Dr. Jacob Segale, SRHR and M&E Project Manager, highlighted the catalytic role of parliaments:

“The project strategically employs Model Laws to catalyse change in national legal frameworks.”
— Dr. Jacob Segale

Key achievements (2019–2024):

• 41 SRHR-related Acts passed in the region

• 186+ public hearings held by MPs

• 587+ parliamentary questions on SRHR raised in national assemblies

Examples include Malawi amending its Child Care, Protection and Justice Act to set the minimum marriage age at 18, and the Democratic Republic of Congo raising its health budget from 9.11% to 11%.

Strengthening Democracy and Transparency

The Swedish envoy also heard about improvements in communication and visibility, with Forum content now regularly published across regional media outlets.

Financial accountability was underscored by Mr. Samuel Bokosi (Internal Auditor) and Mr. Raj Mahendrasing Khooblal (Project Accountant), who detailed strong financial safeguards, including external audits and a whistleblower policy. The latest audit gave the project a clean bill of health.

Mrs. Yapoka Nyirenda Mungandi, Director of Finance & Corporate Services, assured the delegation that Sweden’s financial support was “in good hands.”

Sweden’s Commitment

Mr. Selerud’s visit came just three weeks into his posting. He urged the Forum and its partners to remain vigilant in defending democratic progress.

“Sweden remains a steadfast partner when it comes to democracy, human rights and institution-building. I am honoured to see the remarkable results of our joint work.”
— Mr. Kristian Olsson Selerud

He praised SADC PF’s evidence-based approach and Model Laws as powerful tools to guide parliaments.

“We will continue to walk this journey with you. Democracy thrives when parliaments thrive.”
— Mr. Kristian Olsson Selerud