Page 46 - 40th Summit Brochure 2020

MANDATE OF DIRECTORATE SADC Summit T emes since 2014
T e main mandate of the Directorate for In- 2014 SADC Strategy for Economic Trans-
dustrial Development and Trade is to facil- formation: Leveraging the Region’s
itate trade liberalisation and integration; Diverse Resources for Sustainable
attainment of competitive and diversif ed Economic and Social Development
industrial development and increased in- through Benef ciation and Value Ad-
dustrial investment and productivity that dition
follows international best practice and com- 2015 Accelerating Industrialisation of
plies with globally recognised standards. SADC Economies through Transfor-
T e strategic objective of the Directorate mation of Natural endowment and
is to promote sustainable industrial devel- improved Human Capital
opment and trade integration in the region 2016 Resource Mobilisation for Invest-
through the attainment of the following spe- ment in Sustainable Energy Infra-
cif c goals: structure for an Inclusive SADC
• Increased regional value chains and Industrialisation and for the Pros-
value addition for agricultural and non- perity of the Region
agricultural products; 2017 Partnering with the Private Sector in
• Consolidated SADC Free Trade Agree- Developing Industry and Regional
ment; Value Chains
• Enhanced compliance with international 2018 Promoting Infrastructure Develop-
standards and Sanitary and Phytosani- ment and Youth Empowerment for
tary measures resulting in increased Sustainable Development
Intra-Africa trade; 2019 A Conducive Environment for In-
• Increased regional productivity and im- clusive and Sustainable Industrial
proved involvement of private sector in Development, Increased Intra-Re-
regional integration; gional Trade and Job Creation
• Enhanced progress for deepening re-
gional integration; and Adoption of an Industrial Policy 43
• Enhanced application of science, tech- A giant step in advancing industrial devel-
nology and innovation. opment in the region was realised in August
2019 when the 39th SADC Summit adopted
the SADC Protocol on Industry that aims to
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 2019/2020 improve the policy environment and sup-
port implementation for industrial develop-
Regional Commitment to Industrialisation ment. T e protocol is a stand-alone and
Since 2014 when SADC leaders made a di- binding legal instrument that entrenches
rective at the 34th SADC Summit that in- and gives legal ef ect to the SADC Industri-
dustrialisation should take centre stage in alisation Strategy and Roadmap and its re-
the regional integration agenda, industrial- lated Cost-Action Plan to facilitate adequate
isation has become a priority for develop- coordination, monitoring and evaluation of
mental regionalism in SADC, allowing implementation. Once ratif ed by SADC
Member States to put in place vibrant indus- Member States, the Protocol on Industry is
trialisation policies at national and regional expected to strengthen the economies of
levels to diversify their economies and countries in SADC, driven by industrial de-
utilise local resources through comprehen- velopment rather than export of raw re-
sive Value Addition. sources.
Politically, SADC Heads of State and
Government have shown a strong will to ad-
vance industrial development. For example,
successive SADC Summits since 2014 have
continued with the industrialisation trajec-
tory, marking the f rst time in the history of
SADC that a similar theme has run for sev-
eral consecutive years, thus illustrating the
general thrust of thinking in SADC.