On the 22nd of April 2015, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU aims at encouraging collaboration between the two organisations to promote peace, stability and development in the SADC region. ACCORD is honoured to partner with SADC in fulfilment of these goals. The collaboration takes further ACCORD’s work with regional communities, adding to MoU’s signed with COMESA, IGAD and ICGLR.1 On 27-28th July follow-up consultations were held in order to reflect on best practices and initiatives to operationalise the MoU.
The MoU coincides with implementation of the 15 year Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) of the SADC Commission. The Plan was initially adopted in 2003 and it provides a clear direction for SADC policies and programmes. It also underscores the need to maintain a more stable political and social environment, as one of its key priorities. Under the priority area on politics, defence and security the plan emphasises preventing, managing and resolving conflicts in the region to sustain stability, peace and security both in nation states and the region as a whole. These priorities are crucial for the development of the region.
The SADC/ACCORD partnership highlights the support by the two institutions towards the implementation of the RISDP particularly in ensuring regional integration by maintaining stability, security and peace – conditions which are conducive for social, political and economic development.
The meeting to operationalise the MoU provided an opportunity for both parties to share with each other the work already underway in relation to areas of mutual interest. In this regard, both parties exchanged information and views about different existing capacities as well as gaps that could be filled. The institutions benefitted greatly from learning about existing and evolving plans to enhance democracy and good governance in the Region, and ACCORD took this opportunity to present its overall work in the different thematic areas of peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding, as well as the different activities that the institution has undertaken in support of SADC peace and security objectives.
The meeting led to the development of a roadmap for the operationalisation of the MoU. During the deliberations both institutions also noted the importance of constant interaction and close cooperation in future activities. Through this partnership, ACCORD further reaffirms its dedication to collaborate with likeminded entities in order to contribute to the prevention and resolution of conflicts on the African continent.
For more information contact on ACCORD’s work on mediation, please contact Natacha Kunama, Coordinator, Peacemaking Unit, Natacha@accord.org.za.
Notes
- COMESA is the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa; IGAD is the Intergovernmental Authority on Development; and ICGLR is the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.
