SADC Ministers of Justice/Attorneys General Review Legal Instruments to Boost Regional Integration 

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Committee of Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General held a virtual meeting on July 11, 2025, to review progress on prior Council decisions and to consider several draft SADC legal instruments aimed at advancing regional cooperation and integration.

The meeting was chaired by Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the Committee. In his opening remarks, Honourable Ziyambi highlighted the critical role that SADC legal instruments play in fostering cooperation among member states. 

He emphasized that the entry into force of these instruments is essential to achieving the objectives outlined in Article 12 (2) of the SADC Treaty, thereby driving regional development with balance, equity, and mutual benefit.

Welcoming participants, His Excellency Mr. Elias M. Magosi, Executive Secretary of SADC, underlined the meeting’s importance as a platform for ministers to discuss ways to accelerate regional integration and assess the implementation of SADC legal instruments. 

He urged member states that have not yet signed or ratified these instruments to do so promptly to strengthen the regional framework.

Key draft legal instruments reviewed during the meeting included:

• Amendments to the Protocol on Finance and Investment to enhance provisions on anti-money laundering by including counter-terrorism and proliferation financing measures.
• Amendments to the Protocol on Trade addressing Rules of Origin, safeguard measures, elimination of non-tariff barriers, and trade facilitation.
• Amendments to the Charter establishing the SADC Aviation Safety Organisation (SASO).

The ministers also discussed updates on the appointment of a judge for the SADC Administrative Tribunal and reviewed the status of signing, ratification, and accession to various SADC protocols and legal instruments.

The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to encouraging member states to fully engage in adopting and implementing legal frameworks that promote SADC’s regional integration agenda.