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Coordination, Implementation
The Summit directed that the SADC Secretariat should focus on coordination of
programmes, while Member States should focus on implementation.

Regional Agricultural Investment Plan
The Regional Agricultural Investment Plan 2017-2022 was approved by Council in March
2017 to operationalize the Regional Agricultural Policy, which is expected to increase
agricultural production, productivity and competitiveness, access to markets and trade,
and increase access to finance for agriculture, reducing social and economic vulnerability
in the region and improving food and nutrition security.

SADCRQF
SADC has taken a significant step towards the harmonisation of education across the
region by approving a Regional Qualifications Framework (SADCRQF) that will facilitate
recognition of entry and exit qualifications in critical skills areas for regional integration
and development, in support of industrialisation. Meeting in mid-April 2017 in
Johannesburg, South Africa, the Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation
approved the SADCRQF, marking closer cooperation and easier access for learners and
workers across the region.

The 37 SADC Summit was held in Pretoria, South Africa on 19-20 August 2017-2018
th
2017, hosted and chaired by President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, with the 71
theme of Partnering with the Private Sector in Developing Industry
and Regional Value Chains.

Harnessing Public­Private Partnerships
The theme of the 37th Summit continues the trajectory of the previous
three Summits, building towards the goal of industrialisation and
sustainable development. The theme for 2014 focused on economic
transformation through beneficiation and value addition, while the
2015 theme was the transformation of natural endowment and
human capital, and 2016 paid special attention to resource
mobilisation for investment in sustainable energy
infrastructure. The 2017 Summit focused on harnessing
partnerships with private sector to drive the
industrialisation agenda, urging Member States to
address the theme through projects on Agro-processing,
Mineral Beneficiation, Energy, and Pharmaceuticals.

Shift in Approach to Development
A decision was taken in 2017 to shift the regional development paradigm
from a linear or sequential approach to a developmental approach, with
implementation of programmes and projects across all the stages of
regional integration. Under the previous planning period since
RISDP 2003, the region has pursued targets towards a Common
Currency by 2018. This was changed in 2017 to pursue a
developmental approach that focuses on sectoral cooperation,
industrialisation and infrastructure development to enable
sustainable use of natural resources through value addition
and beneficiation, and competitiveness, as necessary
conditions for trade and regional integration.