BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
MBABANE– Eswatini is among Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states participating in a meeting of senior officials in Salima, Malawi, to review regional peace and security issues ahead of the 28th Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation scheduled for July 16 to 17.
The meeting has brought together senior government and security officials from ministries responsible for foreign affairs and defence across the 16-member regional bloc. Their task is to assess the region’s peace and security situation and finalise recommendations and strategic priorities for consideration by ministers later this week.
Opening the meeting, Malawi’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Chauncy M.K. Simwaka, who chairs the Senior Officials of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ, described the gathering as a crucial stage in the Organ’s decision-making process.
He said the meeting offered an opportunity to consolidate and refine recommendations emerging from various sectoral meetings before they are submitted to the Ministerial Committee for consideration.
Simwaka expressed confidence that the discussions would be guided by cooperation, consensus and mutual respect, principles that have long underpinned the work of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
He further reminded delegates of their responsibility in shaping the region’s peace and security agenda.
“As Senior Officials, you play a critical role in shaping the direction of our regional agenda and providing strategic direction to the Ministerial Committee,” he said, urging delegates to engage in constructive and forward-looking deliberations.
The meeting is expected to consider a broad range of issues relating to regional peace, security and political stability, in line with the mandate of the SADC Organ, which serves as the regional bloc’s principal mechanism for promoting political cooperation, conflict prevention, peacebuilding and collective security.
Also addressing delegates, SADC Secretariat Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, Professor Kula Ishmael Theletsane, called on member states, including Eswatini, to strengthen regional cooperation and enhance collective responses to emerging and evolving security challenges facing Southern Africa.
The recommendations adopted by the senior officials will form the basis of discussions during the Ministerial Committee meeting, where ministers responsible for foreign affairs, defence, public security and state security from SADC member states are expected to deliberate on strategies aimed at strengthening regional peace, stability and security.
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(Courtesy Pic)
