Page 6 - sadc40en

Our successes have been achieved in a large degree because we have begun to mobilise all
productive human resources to work together, and to actively engage the perspectives of men and
women, youth and those living with disabilities to play their part in regional development. It is
said that “women hold up half the sky” and we need to ensure that we are equal in that regard.
One of our successes is our steady advance towards gender equality with more women
actively engaged in decision-making at all levels in the public and private sectors, although we
still have to address the serious challenge of the multiple roles expected of women, in parliament
and Cabinet, in business, in the family and as care-givers. We have to work together to improve
these opportunities and conditions of work, so that the work of all parts of our society is respected,
and to place value on participation and unpaid work.
In this our 40th year, a new enemy has launched a surprise attack on the global community
including southern Africa, and that is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. As SADC Member
States, we have been working together to confront this disease and to keep the population safe in
this region. Our 40th Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government was held virtually for
the first time in our 40-year history due to the challenges posed by the disease. As a region we
remain vigilant and determined to contain its spread, and to mitigate its negative impacts on our
economies and the livelihoods of our citizens.
On the continental front, SADC has distinguished itself as one of the main building blocks
of the envisaged African Economic Community. Together with its tripartite partners, the
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community
(EAC), SADC has led the way in showing what can be achieved when the different Regional
Economic Communities (RECs) work together. It was no small achievement when COMESA-
iv EAC-SADC launched the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) in 2015. It was, therefore, with
great pride when the TFTA was considered one of the pillars of the African Continental Free
Trade Area that was launched in May 2019.
SADC also takes pride for remaining stable and peaceful over all these years. SADC is
among the first African RECs to establish a regional standby force. The SADC Standby Force
was formally established in 2007, consisting of military, police and civilian components to
participate in peace support missions. The force attained Full Operational Capacity status in July
2016, and has been making progress in preparation for its distinct role in the regional and
continental peace and security architecture. In this regard, SADC was the lead region for the
African Standby Force for the period of January to June 2019, ready to deploy anywhere on the
continent in case of need as decided by the African Union.
The purpose of this publication is to highlight SADC achievements and milestones since
the formation of the regional organisation 40 years ago. The objective is to show how far we have
advanced as a region, with a focus on how regional integration has benefitted citizens, thus
promoting greater awareness and participation by the people of the region and their institutions
in the process of regional development and integration.
As we move forward, SADC will build on these achievements through implementation of
the SADC Vision 2050, to be operationalised by the Regional Indicative Strategic Development
Plan 2020-2030.
I would like to thank the SADC Member States for their vision, and the SADC Secretariat
and its partners for their efforts in producing this important publication that documents our
journey and reminds us where we have come from and where we are going, as a region in the
southern part of Africa that is determined to make a significant contribution to the African Union
and its Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want.

H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi
President of the Republic of Mozambique
Chairperson of SADC, August 2020-August 2021