Issued by: Government Communication and Information (GCIS)
A high-powered SADC-US Form is to be held in Gaborone (Botswana) on April 14 and 15. The two-day dialogue will draw participation from government (Ministers, Deputy Minister and other policy-level officials) and the private sector from the two sides. It will be officially opened by President Festus Mogae of Botswana.
All SADC member states are expected to be represented at the ministerial or deputy ministerial level while the US is expected to have representation of about of 90 top officials and businesspersons.
The Forum is viewed as a culmination of agreements that have been entered into between SADC and US government in the past four years. According to the Executive Secretary of SADC, Dr Kaire Mbuende the SADC-US Forum is to be an annual formal dialogue aimed at building a deeper co-operation and engagement between the SADC member states and the United States.
The April 14-15 Forum will be characterised by two major settings: the plenary sessions and three working groups meetings. The working groups are to focus on three sectors of economics, trade and investment; social issues; and political affairs.
Dr Mbuende explained that under the economics, trade and investment the working group will among others share perspectives on policy constraints and regional trade barries in Southern Africa; the SADC Trade Protocol and technical assistance on its implementation; investment climate in SADC; access to the US market; and agricultural potential in SADC.
The social issues other working group will focus on HIV/AIDS; Narcotics and the Environment while on the political front the meeting will discuss the challenges to regional stability with special emphasis on the situation in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Problems of demining, small-arms control and natural disasters in the SADC region will also feature prominently in those discussions.
Contact person: Dr Kaire Mbuende
Tel: (267) 351863 (Gaborone)