By: Rodney Pienaar
Namibia is currently hosting a SADC meeting to improve the living conditions and standard of living for millions in the region, themed ‘Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development’ at the Safari hotel in Windhoek.
Executive director of international relations ministry and chairperson of SADC committee of senior officials, Selma Ashipala –Musavyi said the members should endeavor to strengthen mechanisms that will ensure effective execution of Summit decisions.
“As we go through the agenda, our task is to enhance the processes through which the region’s priorities can be realised. This is crucial and our people expect no less. One of our key priorities is Industrialisation, through which the region will achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development. It is also a proven effective platform to create youth employment and bring about prosperity,” she said.
Ashipala –Musavyi also said that this year theme’s is with the view that the region will continue to enhance industrialisation through infrastructure development and youth empowerment.
“This noble objective of youth empowerment can only be achieved if member states formulate deliberate policies to address youth unemployment, job creation and training in related economic sectors.”
The meeting will also look at the budget of the secretariat and recommend it to the council for approval.
“We should make a meaningful contribution through our activities to ensure that programmes and projects that are budgeted for, are implemented accordingly to realize the aspirations of the SADC We Want. As a Regional Economic Community, it is therefore important to reiterate that effective implementation will bring us closer to achieving our agenda of regional integration, which would in turn lead to us to the Africa We Want as per the AU Agenda 2063,” she said.
The meeting is expected to conclude on Friday.
