SADC and Germany Strengthen Development Cooperation with €36.4 Million Commitment
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany have successfully concluded their bilateral negotiations on development cooperation.
Held once every two years, these negotiations provide a platform for both parties to discuss and assess existing cooperation efforts.
The outcome of this latest round of negotiations is a significant financial commitment of an additional EUR 36.4 million by the German Government to support various SADC regional programs.
The SADC delegation, led by the Executive Secretary, H.E. Mr Elias Magosi, and accompanied by Ms Angele Makombo N’tumba, Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, engaged in fruitful discussions with the German counterparts.
Ms Birgit Gerhardus, Head of the Division for Southern Africa at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), represented the German side. The negotiations also featured a keynote address by Dr. Barbara Kofler, Parliamentary State Secretary at BMZ.
The financial commitment from Germany will bolster ongoing programs that focus on regional economic integration, transboundary water management, natural resource protection and utilization, strengthening national and regional linkages, and support for the Strategic Management Pillar of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP).
These initiatives align with the SADC Vision 2050 and the Prioritized RISDP 2020-2030 Projects.
The SADC Executive Secretary expressed gratitude, acknowledging Germany’s continuous support since 1985.
He assured the Germany Government that SADC is committed to leveraging this support to enhance regional integration, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development. Mr Magosi emphasized SADC’s focus on political cooperation, democracy, good governance, and human security as the foundation for socio-economic development in the region.
Ms Birgit Gerhardus reiterated Germany’s commitment to supporting SADC’s regional integration agenda. She highlighted that the planned commitments result from technical consultations that facilitated the joint identification of interventions.
Both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing communication and visibility of the SADC-German Cooperation, sharing success stories to showcase the results and impact achieved through German-funded projects.
Beyond the negotiations, the SADC Executive Secretary engaged in a courtesy meeting with Ms Sarah Bernardy, Head of Division for Southern Africa at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, discussing matters related to peace and security.
Both parties expressed concerns about the prevailing security situation in both the SADC and EU regions and affirmed the critical role of peace and security as an enabler of regional integration.
The SADC delegation also interacted with German Implementing Agencies, including Heads of GIZ and KfW, who congratulated the Secretariat on the successful negotiations. Discussions included collaboration on the implementation of the identified additional support.
Mr Philipp Knill, Director Africa II for BMZ, hosted a gathering with the SADC delegation and SADC Ambassadors based in Berlin. The event provided an opportunity to express gratitude for the support and encouraged ambassadors to promote SADC’s work internationally, exploring avenues for mobilizing resources in the global community.
The conclusion of the negotiations sets the stage for program implementation until 2025, with the next round of bilateral negotiations scheduled to be hosted by the SADC region.
This collaborative effort marks a significant stride in fortifying the partnership between SADC and Germany for sustainable development and regional progress.
Source: SADC Secretariat
