Among the highlights of the Forum delegation engagements with partners was the meeting with the USAID at its headquarters in Washington DC on 8 March. The meeting was attended by a high-level delegation that included Kevin Gash, Legislative Strengthening Advisor; Kristine Herrmann-DeLuca, Head of the Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) Center; Mark Billera, Deputy Director DRG Center; and Caroline Hubbard, Senior Gender Advisor, among others. During the meeting it was recalled that USAID and SADC PF had a long partnership dating back to between 2000 and 2010 when the former commissioned a 10-yeear grant to support the Forum’s role in promoting democratic elections through election observation missions by male and female MPs from both ruling and opposition political parties. The collaboration contributed to various electoral reforms including the creation of independent election management bodies, the counting of votes and declaration of results at polling centres, introduction of continuous voter registration, among other international best practices.

The USAID commented the SADC PF for the visible leadership in promoting inclusive governance, democratic accountability, rule of law and human rights in the SADC region through the development of Model Laws and other normative standards for use by MPs and stakeholders in domesticating regional and international commitments.

The two organisations agreed on the need to consolidate their partnership by focusing on strengthening parliamentary capacity in advocating for democratic drive and ensuring that democracy delivers to citizens. Other areas of possible collaboration that were identified include health service delivery, management of transboundary waters, wildlife trafficking, debt crisis, enhancing public participation and curbing corruption, with the Model Law on Public Financial Management which SADC PF adopted in 2022, being singled out as a strategic tool for use in this regard.

During the engagement SADC PF took note of the policy shift by USAID towards bilateral approaches to allocating funding, as opposed to a regional approach as was previously the case. In this regard, it was agreed that USAID would facilitate engagement between SADC PF and the USAID national offices in the region as well as with its Regional Office in Pretoria, to explore funding opportunities. The engagement was successful in updating the USAID on the trailblazing work the SADC PF has been undertaking since the laps of the previous Project and in identifying areas of mutual interest the two entities could pursue.

STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF SADC-PF

END OF PROJECT MEETING – PARLIAMENT OF NAMIBIA

1^ST APRIL 2023 AT 9:30 HRS

“SETTING THE END OF PROJECT REVIEW AND DOCUMENTATION TONE”

STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF SADC-PF END OF PROJECT MEETING – PARLIAMENT OF NAMIBIA

CONCEPT NOTE : SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS (SRHR), HIV AND AIDS GOVERNANCE PROJECT - PHASE 2

Multi-stakeholder consultative workshop on the end of SRHR Project Performance   Review, 2019-2023

DATES: 31 March-02 April 2023

VENUE: Swakopmund Plaza Hotel

Multi-stakeholder consultative workshop on the end of SRHR Project Performance Review, 2019-2023

KEYNOTE SPEECH

ARASA SRHR REGIONAL SYMPOSIUM

RE-FLECT; RE-ENGAGE; RE-INTEGRATE

29^TH – 31^ST MARCH 2023

RADISSON HOTEL& CONVENTION CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG, OR TAMBO, SOUTH AFRICA

SECRETARY GENERAL - KEYNOTE SPEECH ARASA SRHR REGIONAL SYMPOSIUM RE-FLECT; RE-ENGAGE; RE-INTEGRATE

Honourable Members and Colleagues

Please join me in expressing our heartfelt sympathies and solidarity to our brothers and sisters in Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and previously Mauritius for the extensive damage caused by cyclone Freddy which is now one of the longest living cyclones in the history of the planet. Rarely has it happened in environmental history that cyclones have returned after battering through a country, and yet we have seen it with Freddy.

This enjoins us to continue reflecting on climate change disasters across SADC and on the role of Parliaments to mitigate same through legal initiatives and policy oversight.

We further express our profound commiserations for those who apart from material damage, have experienced loss of life or injuries due to the cyclone's wrath. We continue to hold you in our prayers throughout this tragic experience.

Please continue to believe in the assurances of our highest consideration.

Hon. Roger Mancienne,

SADC-PF President

15th March 2023

Message of Sympathy and Solidarity by Hon President of SADC PF 15 March 23