Items scheduled during the three-day 49th Plenary Assembly includes an opening ceremony to be addressed by Botswana President, H.E. Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, a Symposium on the Theme, Swearing in of New Members, consideration of Standing Committee Reports and Members’ Motions.
The Symposium will have presentations from different key role players including the AfCFTA Secretariat, the SADC Secretariat, the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and the Government of Botswana as the hosts of the 49th Plenary Assembly Virtual Session. The presenters will place emphasis on the domestication process of the AfCFTA, the capacitation of Members, raising of awareness on the key areas, accountability and participation.
The Plenary Assembly, which meets twice a year hosted by one of the 15 member Parliaments on a rotational basis, is the policy-making and deliberative body of the SADC Parliamentary Forum which is constituted by the Speakers and up to five other representatives elected by each national Parliament.
As the apex parliamentary body in the SADC region, the SADC Parliamentary Forum has a critical role to play in ensuring a coordinated and collaborative approach by Parliaments in building the requisite capacity for parliamentarians and relevant parliamentary committees on how they can utilise their law-making and oversight mandate to ensure the effective implementation of the AfCFTA and build a more inclusive and equitable post-Covid SADC region.
MEDIA ACCESS: The SADC PF 49th Plenary Assembly Virtual Session is open to the media and journalists who are interested in covering the three-day session must send a request to the SADC-PF Media Office on this email:
The Plenary Assembly will be broadcast live on DSTV Channel 408 and live-streamed on the SADC-PF platforms on the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadcpf
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sadcpf
YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCa0QZWjuXVxer_vm637pBmQ
