Durban: The Council of Ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Wednesday began its ordinary session in Durban, South Africa, with an agenda focused on regional integration, sustainable development, peace and security. The meeting is attended by an Angolan delegation headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Téte António and precedes the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, scheduled for August 17. According to Angola Press News Agency, the proceedings began with welcoming remarks by SADC Executive Secretary Elias Mpedi Magosi, followed by the handover of the chairmanship of the Council of Ministers. Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Amon Murwira handed over the chairmanship to South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola. Ministers from the member states are considering matters of strategic importance for deepening regional integration and promoting sustainable development in Southern Africa, with pa rticular emphasis on industrialisation, economic transformation, infrastructure, agriculture, and the beneficiation and processing of critical minerals. Food and nutrition security, disaster preparedness and response, and strengthening the resilience of countries in the region in the face of climate-related and socio-economic challenges are also among the priorities on the agenda. With regard to regional integration, the meeting is addressing issues related to energy, transport, infrastructure development and connectivity, with a view to strengthening economic integration among member states. The ministers are also assessing the impact of current international geopolitical developments on the region, particularly their implications for peace, security, stability, and development in Southern Africa. Another item on the agenda concerns monitoring the implementation of SADC decisions, as well as regional programmes and projects aimed at accelerating the integration process. SADC was established on August 17, 1 992, in Windhoek, Namibia, as the successor to the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), which was established in 1980. The organisation's objectives are to promote the economic and social development of its member states, reduce poverty, deepen regional integration and contribute to peace, security and stability in Southern Africa. Headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana, SADC comprises 16 member states and is one of the continent's main mechanisms for regional cooperation and integration. The organisation operates in areas including trade and investment, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, food security, transport, industrialisation, natural resource management and human development. In the area of peace and security, SADC has regional mechanisms aimed at preventing, managing and resolving conflicts, as well as promoting political stability and strengthening democracy in member states. Angola has been a member of SADC since its establishment and has actively participated in regional i ntegration processes and initiatives related to peace and security in Southern Africa. The organisation's members are Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
