International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will on Friday, 31 July 2009, depart for Swaziland where she will lead a delegation to attend the SADC 11th session of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) scheduled from the 31 July to 2 August 2009.
South Africa participates in the SADC MCO within the context of the consolidation of the African agenda as well as promoting peace, security and stability within the region. In this regard, issues on the agenda of this session of the MCO include:
* status of ratification and/or accession to the protocols related to defence, public security/ safety and security
* progress report on the implementation of the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO) action plan
* review of the implementation of the MCO decisions
* progress report on Hashim Mbita project
* consideration of the report of the Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy Committee (ISPDC)
* consideration of the report of the Inster-State Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC)
* implementation of the UNIVISA in the SADC region
* progress report on the staffing of the organ
* contribution of the SADC member states in peace support operations
The SADC region is among the regions in the world that are relatively stable and peaceful. This session of the MCO will therefore feed into the various SADC efforts that seek to entrench the consolidation of Defence, democracy and security co-operation within the region.
Upon conclusion, Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will depart for Kenya where she will be participating in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum returning to South Africa on 6 August 2009 ahead of the incoming visit by United State (US) Secretary of the State Ms Hillary Clinton.
Enquiries:
Nomfanelo Kota
Cell: 082 459 3787
Issued by: Department of International Relations and Co-operation
30 July 2009
