The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australia on sustainable development, peace and security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, agriculture and food security, and human resource development.

SADC executive secretary Dr Tomaz Salomão and Australian High Commissioner Ann Harrap signed the MoU at the SADC headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana, on Thursday.

“Australia has strong political, diplomatic and commercial links with all SADC countries and our partnerships have grown significantly in recent years. Our development cooperation with the various countries in the region for 2011 to 2012 was over $100-million.

“Australia is also keen to do more with the SADC organisation itself in key areas of priority interest,” Harrap said.

She added that Australia recognised the primary role that the SADC played in promoting peace, security and democracy in the Southern Africa region. “Through this MoU, we have committed ourselves to sharing information and ideas so that both our respective regions can contribute to the resolution of global and regional challenges,” she said.
Further, the Australian government provides assistance to the $17.5-million SADC transboundary water management programme, which aims to provide millions of people with safer drinking water, improve water supplies and help reduce conflict.

Australia’s support for this initiative is also provided in partnership with the German and British governments.

In October, a delegation from the Limpopo water course commission, together with two officials from the SADC water division, would visit Australia. The delegation would attend the International River Symposium and meet with relevant counterparts to share ideas on policy approaches to transboundary water management.

Harrap concluded that Australia was also interested in seeing how the Australia Awards Scholarships programme, which currently provides 1 000 scholarships and professional development opportunities to African students every year, could be used by the SADC organisation.