Page 43 - sadc40en

Children
“In light of the grave circumstances of children in Southern Africa arising out of destabil-
isation, the Summit expressed support to the United Nations for convening, in New York
in September 1990, the World Conference on Children, and requested Presidents Robert
G. Mugabe and Sam Nujoma to speak on behalf of the region.” (Summit communiqué)
Post­Apartheid Options and Strategies 1991-92
The Summit in United Republic of Tanzania in August 1991 noted that the region was
undergoing fundamental economic, political and social changes that will have a major im-
pact on its future, and welcomed the initial steps toward the abolition of apartheid in South
Africa, as evidenced by the unbanning of the Liberation Movements and repeal of some
racist laws. However, the Summit observed that apartheid was still firmly in place and re-
gretted the continuing violence.
The Summit welcomed the end of the war in Angola and peace talks in Mozam-
bique, and urged the international community to assist those two countries with major
emergency assistance towards reconstruction, as well as material assistance and support
for South African exiles returning home.
The Summit concluded that these developments require a concerted response by
SADCC Member States to assert leadership of the region and create a framework for fu-
ture relations in the region. Summit directed Council to identify options and strategies for
regional cooperation in a post-apartheid era, and established a Joint Planning Committee
of SADCC Member States and the Liberation Movements to direct this work.
33
Status of Walvis Bay
Summit noted with regret that the status of Walvis Bay and the offshore islands, as integral
parts of Namibia, remains unresolved, and called on the international community to assist
Namibia to regain sovereignty over Walvis Bay.

2.2 POST-1992 DEVELOPMENTS

The analysis in this section follows a chronological order in providing major milestones and
decisions in building SADC and is arranged in the cycle of the SADC Year between
Summits, including the Summit Hosts and Chairpersons for the respective period. The
complete list of legal instruments including SADC Protocols, Declarations, Charters, MOUs
and Agreements signed 1992-2020 are presented in an Annex following Chapter 6.

2.2.1 Major Milestones 1992-2000
The 12 SADC Summit held in Windhoek, Namibia on 17 August 1992 was hosted by 1992-93
th
the founding President, Dr Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma, and chaired by President
Sir Quett Ketumile Joni Masire of Botswana.

SADC Declaration, Treaty and Protocol
The Report of the Council of Ministers on the Formalisation of SADCC was approved
as a basis to strengthen SADCC and give it an appropriate legal status to create a Regional
Economic Community (REC) of Southern African states. The SADCC Member States
approved and signed a new Declaration, Treaty, and Protocol on deeper and more formal
arrangements for cooperation and integration within the framework of the Southern