SADC Statistics Committee Concludes Meeting in Victoria Falls, Urges Protocol Ratification and Regional Data Reforms
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Statistics Committee wrapped up its meeting in Victoria Falls with a renewed commitment to enhancing regional statistical cooperation and harmonisation. A major outcome of the meeting was a strong appeal to SADC Member States to urgently sign and ratify the SADC Protocol on Statistics.
The Committee recommended that Member States seize the upcoming SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in August 2025, set to take place in Antananarivo, Madagascar, as a key opportunity for protocol signing. Alternatively, Member States may sign the Protocol domestically at their convenience with support from the SADC Secretariat.
The Committee expressed deep concern about ongoing delays in the signing and ratification of SADC legal instruments, warning that such delays have significant negative implications for regional integration. These hold-ups undermine timely policy implementation, restrict access to funding from international partners and multilateral financial institutions, and impede effective collaboration among Member States.
The Committee cited a report presented to the SADC Council in August 2024, which highlighted the far-reaching consequences of slow protocol ratification.
During the meeting, Member States presented updates on their national progress toward signing and ratifying the Protocol on Statistics. The Committee also reviewed advancements under the SADC–World Bank Regional Statistics Project, emphasizing the importance of capacity building through targeted training and technical assistance.
Key decisions were made across several thematic areas. In National Accounts, the Committee prioritized capacity building to support the transition to the 2025 System of National Accounts (SNA) and recommended reviews of existing methodologies. In Poverty Statistics, efforts will focus on training to enhance national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) production and the development of a regional MPI.
Price Statistics discussions highlighted ongoing reviews of the Harmonised Consumer Price Index (HCPI) in select countries and efforts to further harmonize price data. For Trade Statistics, the Committee finalized methodological guidelines for collecting data on informal cross-border and services trade.
Agriculture Statistics saw renewed calls for strengthened collaboration on the SADC Agriculture Information Management System (AIMS) portal and enhanced support for Food Balance Sheets. The Committee also adopted harmonized tools for Migration Statistics and encouraged the integration of migration modules in national censuses.
In Labour Statistics, Member States were urged to regularly produce labour data following the latest statistical standards to improve comparability and inform responsive employment policies. The Committee also endorsed the Financial Inclusion Toolkit to advance gender-disaggregated data collection under Gender Statistics.
Finally, the Committee directed the SADC Secretariat to finalize key digital platforms, including the Open Data Portal and the Integrated Trade Statistics Database System, aimed at supporting sustainable and accessible regional data infrastructure.
