Southern African Development Community

Gaborone, Botswana Botswana

English

April 1980

SADC Tribunal in Windhoek, Namibia

The Southern African Development Community, correctly Development Community Southern Africa (english Southern African Development Community, SADC) is a regional organization for economic and political integration in Southern Africa. Its headquarters are in Gaborone Botswana.

History

The Southern African Development Community was officially called " Southern African Development Conference" ( SADCC ) established in April 1980. The foundation dates back to a first joint summit in July 1979 in Arusha ( Tanzania). In 1992, the organization its current name in Windhoek ( Namibia).

Initially planned as a counterweight to the frontline countries to economic supremacy in South Africa's apartheid times, it is to the creation of a regional integration project in 1992 to the Southern African states. The Extraordinary 2001 in Windhoek comprehensive structural reform was decided was being decided in addition to the radical departure from the decentralized structure, the resolution of the 21 areas of cooperation, which were henceforth grouped into four subordinate to the Secretariat directorates.

In 1996, the trade of the SADC Protocol was signed, which came into force four years later. The protocol aims at creating a free trade zone, where all participating States undertake to 2008, more than 85 percent and abolish all external tariffs by 2012. Special rules apply for sensitive goods in which the elimination of customs duties could threaten the national economy branches. Throughout the process, the principle of asymmetric trade liberalization holds, where South Africa conceded unilateral trade preferences. 2003 was a further step towards deeper integration will be completed with the adoption of a regional Strategic Development Plan ( RISDP ). As the main aim to deepen regional integration is called in this, the plan is focused on the next 15 years and an extensive program of economic and social aspects include which aims at a tighter integration with a focus on poverty reduction in the region. By 2008, therefore, is a free trade area by 2010, a SADC customs union by 2015, a common market and an economic union by 2016 to be created. The introduction of a common currency is planned until 2018.

The first step towards deeper integration within the RISDP, the built in January 2008 by 12 of the 14 Member States free trade area in the SADC dar. The free trade zone to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to join.

The European Union and the United States are now working more closely with the SADC. While the European Union with all participating States seeks the conclusion of the so-called Partnership Agreement, the negotiations of the United States with the SADC and the Southern African Customs Union are currently not successful.

On August 16th and 17th 2010, the SADC as part of its summit in Windhoek celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Member States

In the development community residents are currently 15 states with a total of around 240 million combined. These are:

  • Angola Angola
  • Botswana Botswana
  • Congo Democratic Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of
  • Lesotho Lesotho
  • Malawi Malawi
  • Mauritius Mauritius
  • Mozambique Mozambique
  • Namibia Namibia
  • Zambia Zambia
  • Zimbabwe Zimbabwe
  • South Africa South Africa
  • Swaziland Swaziland
  • Tanzania
  • Seychelles Seychelles ( at his own request not a member between 2004 and 15 August 2007)
  • Madagascar Madagascar ( The membership was suspended due to the coup d'état in 2009 until further notice. )

Official language of the organization is English. In addition, French and Portuguese are used as working languages.

Objectives

Among the main objectives of SADC include:

  • The social and economic policies of its members to coordinate.
  • To improve the economic, social and cultural relations in the region
  • The abolition of obstacles to the free movement of capital and labor, goods and services.
  • Promoting the formation of human capital.
  • Promoting the exchange of technology and knowledge in the region.

Structure of the organization

Summit Conference of Heads of State and Government (Summit )

The supreme decision-making body, the annual summit of Heads of State and Government represents the chair forms a so-called troika, consisting of the chairman, the future president and the predecessor. The summit conference determined the political course of the organization and may decide on changes or additions to the organizational structure. In addition, the Summit decides on the admission of new Member States, where decisions are generally made ​​here unanimously and for individual states on a permanent binding.

The Secretary-General is elected every five years.

Council of Ministers

Here the political decisions of the Summit will be prepared. In addition, the Council of Ministers is responsible for the implementation of SADC programs and the selection and assignment of cooperation sectors. In addition, the Council will advise supported by the Standing Committee. Since 15 August 2010, the Namibian Trade and Industry Minister Hage Geingob is Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

Secretariat

Since the structural reform of 2001 the Secretariat has the duty for active and self-responsible promotion of the integration process. In addition, the Secretariat comes under the new Treaty of 2001, the task of monitoring the implementation of and compliance with regional policies and programs and to evaluate.

In addition, within the General Secretariat of the four newly created directorships were bundled. These are the following directorates:

  • Directorate of Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment
  • Directorate for Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Directorate of Infrastructure and Services
  • Directorate for Social and Human Development and Special Programmes

Organ for Politics, Defence and Security ( OPDS )

The OPDS represents the security and defense policy organ of the SADC, was established in 1996. Shortly after the founding of the institution, there were disputes as to the legal position of the organ within the SADC. Those disagreements ultimately led to inefficiency and suspending the OPDS to 2001.

As part of the 2001 restructuring we also saw the adoption of the Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, which governs from now on rights and obligations of the OPDS. The protocol is aimed at the peaceful coexistence between the SADC countries and the political stability in the various Member States in particular.

Integrated Committee of Ministers

The Integrated Committee of Ministers has also been established in the course of structural reforms in 2001. It consists of two ministers from each Member country and to oversee the work of the four directorates substantially.

SADC National Committees

These coordinate the implementation of SADC programs at national level.

SADC Tribunal

The establishment of the tribunal in August 2000. It is to deal as an independent, regional appeal court of arbitration of international conflicts and disputes. Due to various complications, the Court began work in 2005 on. His seat has it in the " gym " in Windhoek. The Tribunal was known mainly by the fall of the Zimbabwean Mike Campbell, who complained against Robert Mugabe due to land expropriation and won.

In August 2010, the Tribunal has been temporarily suspended. The suspension lasts until at least August 2012.

Balance

Little progress in the integration process of SADC were recorded between 1998 and 2000. The conflict in SADC Member State DRC and the concomitant cleavage of the SADC into two camps, the rivalries between the old descending leader of the Zimbabwe region and the new rising leading power in South Africa, the unequal economic relationship between the members, but also the structural deficiencies in of the organization which advances rather prevented, can be used as a reason for this. Due to the recent developments, in particular through the adoption of numerous protocols and the introduction of the FTA end of 2008, the integration process of the SADC could gain momentum.

Furthermore, it can be observed that the SADC is not able to handle the crisis in Zimbabwe appropriate. Although there was already to several crisis summit, the controversial Mugabe's government has so far remained without consequences. The deliberate disregard of the judgments of the Community Tribunal against the white minority discriminatory land reform remains far without consequences.

Awards

The SADC awards at irregular intervals, the 'Sir Seretse Khama SADC Medal - ". It is the highest, transnational distinction in southern Africa and is named after the first President Seretse Khama of Botswana.

Joyce Banda 2009 Malagasy political crisis
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